Ella
by MoonstoneAndStarDust
Summary: In which Ella Longbottom meddles in the lives of her friends, makes mistakes, learns some lessons, and might just find love in the process. A story extremely reminiscent of Jane Austen's Emma.
1. Prologue

Ella Longbottom never really knew her mother.

She supposed she did, when she was young, but Hannah Longbottom had been taken suddenly ill when Ella was no more than five years old, so she'd never really had the opportunity.

It was often said that she looked very like her mother, whose round face and blonde hair were soft and beautiful, but Ella found herself only able to agree with this sentiment based on the photographs that were all over the home she shared with her father, her sister, and her great-grandmother above the Leaky Cauldron. Her older sister, Sarah, took more after their father; round dark eyes and hair a warm brown that waved and fell down her back. It had taken both girls awhile to grow out of their baby fat, but Ella no longer found the faults in her appearance that she used to, save her continued displeasure in her small stature.

The loss of her mother wasn't something Ella tried to dwell on. She missed her as best she could, having hardly known her. Ella supposed she missed the maternal presence in her life more than anything else. But there had been plenty of mother figures that had more than filled a caring role, such as the many Weasley women. For that, she was grateful. And she was most particularly grateful for the presence of Anne Warren.

While only just old enough to be Ella's mother, Anne had come to work for the Longbottom family at the Leaky Cauldron shortly before Hannah had died. She'd stayed on and looked after things while the family grieved, and soon became indispensable. Not only was she a great help to Neville, but she doted on the girls. Sarah had gone off to Hogwarts two years after their mother had died, and Ella had spent most of her days living with her great-grandmother above the inn while her father was teaching. It was during these days that Anne was a savior to her. She loved her grandmother, but the older witch was not best suited to raising a small child at her age.

Anne had taken over much of the management of the inn, and so was able to spend the afternoons and evenings with Ella. It had been Anne who'd been with Ella when her father finally delivered her Hogwarts letter on her eleventh birthday. Anne had been Ella's source of advice and comfort when she'd been away at school, always an owl away when she had a question about boys or how to handle the girls in her dorm. And once Ella was done with school, Anne had taken her under her wing so she could learn the ropes at the inn. Ella supposed she could have always pursued another career like her older sister had, but she loved that old inn. She'd always been a bit of a homebody, and it was the only way she felt close to her mother. Taking over the running of the inn once she was old enough had always been her plan, and Anne and her father had supported the endeavor.

Days at the inn could be described as dull, but Ella found great pleasure in observing the people who crossed her path. Unlike Anne, who didn't much care for mingling with the patrons as she was of a rather timid disposition, Ella enjoyed taking shifts serving and at the bar. It was always amusing to listen to people's drunken ramblings and watch attempts at conversation and seduction. She'd learned to be able to tell who was actually going to succeed in their endeavors, and who had best leave off and pursue other options. On more than one occasion, Ella had taken the opportunity to prod and even meddle in the lives of a few friends and patrons. There hadn't been any instance of real success - other than a few couples leaving the pub together and more than one snogging session in corner booths - until about a year after she'd left Hogwarts.

It had been a typical summer day. Ella was taking the dinner shift - which was usually the busiest and she thrived in the hustle and bustle - when her sister had arrived in a state of aggravation.

"Rough day?" Ella asked as she set a glass of Sarah's favorite wine in front of her on the bar. Sarah closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Just some coworkers who can't seem to get along, and I keep getting caught in the middle. How're things here?"

Ella grinned and leaned on the bar, speaking eagerly to her older sister. "Penelope Jenkins was in here earlier. You remember her from school? She was a few years above me and below you. Laughed like a banshee."

Sarah snorted into her wine and nodded vaguely.

"She was in here earlier and got drunk off her arse before I realised it had happened - I think she nicked the whiskey from behind the counter - and she starts rambling on about how Eddie Finnigan dumped her."

Sarah's already large brown eyes widened in astonishment. "I didn't even realize they were seeing each other."

"Seriously?" Ella asked in surprise. "They were practically the golden couple of Hogwarts my fifth year, as obnoxious as they were."

"And I was working in London by then," Sarah reminded her. "I wouldn't have paid attention to stuff like that."

Ella rolled her eyes and refilled her sister's glass. "Anyway, Roxanne Weasley was here, and she had to Floo her home. She was a ghastly mess."

Sarah was barely listening as her eyes stared blankly ahead. She gave a nonverbal response as she took another sip of her wine.

"You alright?" Ella asked in concern. Sarah shrugged before focusing on her sister.

"Just tired. It's been nothing but work for ages and it's wearing on me. Nobody can agree on what to include in the agreement with the Egyptian Ministry, and Franks and Ellicott won't stop having a go at each other. I swear they were both about to pull their wands today."

Ella grimaced in sympathy. This was exactly why she'd forgone a job at the Ministry. Sarah enjoyed her work in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, but scarcely a week went by when she didn't come into the pub and complain to her sister about one thing or another.

"You should take a break," Ella suggested. "Go on holiday or something."

Sarah practically snorted into her wine. "Where would I go? You know how much Dad hates it when we travel anywhere outside of London or Hogwarts."

"So?" Ella argued. "You're twenty-two years old, Sarah. You could do with some time away."

Sarah didn't respond and went back to studying the wall behind Ella. With a sigh, Ella moved on to a few other patrons who'd taken seats at the bar, asking Matt - her fellow bar keep - to handle most of the work while she tended to Sarah. By the time she was able to return, her sister was no longer alone. Ella smiled as she approached Sarah and her dark haired companion.

"Hello, Ello. Give us a pint, yeah?" said Albus Potter with a charmingly crooked grin. Ella rolled her eyes as she grabbed a tankard from under the bar and filled it with Al's favorite brand of butterbeer.

"I told you to stuff it with the stupid nicknames," she said good humoredly. Al chuckled as she placed his drink in front of him.

"Come on, El-Bell. You secretly enjoy it."

Ella just placed her hands on her hips and shook her head as Al chuckled. The younger Potter boy - as well as his siblings - had been something of a constant in Ella's life. Al and Sarah had been the same year at Hogwarts, and all three of the Potters had been something like siblings to her growing up. Both of their parents had always been close with her father, and they even spent many holidays with the Potter family. This teasing from Al was nothing new.

"If you keep it up, it's Albus from now on," Ella threatened, and Al looked fearful for a moment before smirking at her.

"I make no promises. You're a lot easier to tease than Sarah. It's not like I can be as creative with her name."

He looked at Sarah with a teasing grin, but her gaze was focused on her almost empty glass of wine. His expression softened and turned concerned at her demeanor.

"Those stubborn prats still refusing to back down?" he said in a surprising show of understanding. Sarah quickly glanced at him and nodded.

"Daniel Ellicott's always been a prick, but I never thought he'd let it go this far. Everyone knows that Franks will have nothing but his way. He's just making it worse."

Al shook his head and took another pull from his beer. "So much for so-called cooperation," he mumbled into his tankard, and Ella was pleasantly surprised to see this entice a slight smile out of Sarah for a moment.

"Exactly," she said, slightly more at ease now. "They're setting a horrible example, not only for the department, but for all of the delegates from Egypt who've graciously sat through the proceedings all week. And I've tried so hard to keep the peace, but they're chauvinistic pigs who won't listen to a witch. Even if she is the one who's responsible for bringing about any semblance of an agreement between us and the Egyptians in regard to fair trade for the past ten years. This could really change things," she said emphatically. "And they want to waste that because neither of them can see past their own noses and let the past go?"

She was growing slightly heated in her frustrations, and Al turned to face her, his arm draping over the back of her chair.

"Hey, you've done brilliantly," he reassured her. "Just don't blame yourself if this goes south. You've done great work and you know it. And so does your boss."

Sarah gave him a small, grateful smile. Al worked in the same department, but while Sarah was in the International Magical Trading Standards Body, he worked for the International Magical Office of Law. This meant that they saw quite a lot of each other, and Ella vaguely remembered Sarah going over her work with Al before handing in her proposal to her boss a few months ago. He wasn't just blindly reassuring her, and she could tell that Sarah appreciated his words, especially knowing they came from an informed perspective.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "It's just a bit exhausting."

"I was just telling her she should take a holiday," Ella jumped in. Sarah rolled her eyes, but Al looked intrigued. "Maybe take a few days off once this is all over and get out of the city for a bit. It could really do her some good, don't you think?"

"Absolutely," Al said with a nod. "You deserve it. And it's the perfect time of year to visit the seaside."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I've never traveled, Al. I'd have no idea what to do with myself."

"Come on," Al reasoned. "There's a perfect place in Devon where my family used to go. It's peaceful and small. I could look into it for you."

Sarah's front of refusal seemed to crack at this, and she looked at him curiously.

"I'm not sure," she said. "Dad would hate it."

Al rolled his eyes. "Neville could handle it. Especially when he sees how haggard you are."

She seemed almost offended by this, but he continued on.

"Come on. They have these cabins you could stay in. And there's this great little inn as well, which would be cheaper. It's within perfect walking distance from the shore."

"Al, it sounds lovely," Sarah assured him, "but I don't think I'd be comfortable traveling on my own. I'd maybe go with someone, but Rose never gets time off, and Ella can't leave during the summer. She's way too busy."

Al deflated as his attempts to help his friend seemed to have failed, but Ella's mind had been whirring as she watched her sister and their childhood friend sitting next to each other. It had been growing as an idea in the back of her mind all year that the two might actually be compatible beyond friendship. They'd spent many nights over the past year sitting exactly as they were now, and Ella had been able to observe them more than she ever had before. She'd been looking for an opportunity to work some matchmaking magic over the past month, and she now had the perfect opportunity.

"You should take her."

Al looked at Ella in confusion, while Sarah seemed completely shocked by her sister's words.

"What?" asked Al, and Ella rolled her eyes at his innocent expression.

"You should take her. You know the area, and you're obviously eager for her to take some time away for her own good. Who better to get away with than your best friend?"

This statement wasn't even a stretch. Sarah and Al had each referred to the other as their best friend on various occasions, and best friends could spend one-on-one time together, couldn't they?

Al seemed to consider the idea for a moment before he shrugged and grinned at Sarah.

"Sounds alright to me. I've got some time off coming my way as well. When should your proceedings be over?"

"As soon as my coworkers can pull their heads out of their arses," said Sarah, "but are you sure about this?"

"Why not?" asked Al. "El's right. I know the area, it was my idea, and we're best friends. Why can't we go on holiday together?"

"Plus, Dad will probably be more likely to let you go if you've got a nice, strong, respectable wizard going with you."

Ella grinned cheekily at her sister, who seemed irritated by the insinuation that she needed protection.

"Come on, Sarah," said Al. "It'll just be for a couple of days. We can make it a long weekend."

As Sarah looked between her sister and Al uncertainly, Ella saw the moment she relented. She knew her sister well enough to know when she stopped fighting and gave into what she really wanted, and it was obvious she wanted to go away with Al, even if it was just as friends.

"Fine," Sarah eventually said with a sigh, "but we're getting separate rooms."

Al grinned in triumph and began throwing out ideas for travel. It was a few short minutes later when they were joined by another member of his family, and Sarah was eagerly making plans with Al by that point. Ella smiled at James as he sat next to his brother, who was so engrossed in his conversation that he didn't notice his older brother's presence, even when James said hello to him.

"What's with them?" he asked Ella with a quizzical bent to his brow. Ella couldn't help but grin mischievously.

"We're moving to a booth, Ella," Sarah informed her sister before she could respond to James. "Could you send over two plates of fish and chips?"

Ella nodded as Sarah and Al made to move through the growing crowd at the bar to an empty booth at the back, both of them finally noticing James and saying a quick hello to him before continuing to their destination. James looked back at Ella in question once they were gone.

"They're going away on holiday together," Ella said eagerly. "Sarah needs a break and she didn't want to go on her own, so I conveniently suggested Al go with her since he seemed so keen to see her take a trip to the seaside in Devon."

She was beaming at James, who looked back at her uncertainly.

"Alright. I'm sure they'll have a nice time."

Ella gave him a look of astonishment when he didn't seem to grasp what this all could mean.

"James, don't you see it?" she said enthusiastically. "They'll go away together to the nice, peaceful seaside, and before you know it, they'll be sitting down to a romantic dinner, the mood will be just right, and it'll all fall perfectly into place."

The look on James' face betrayed his inner thoughts, and it was evident he believed she'd gone mad.

"Al and Sarah? You're barking."

"I most certainly am not," she assured him, grabbing a bottle of firewhiskey from under the counter and pouring James a glass. "I've been keeping my eyes very open all year, and I know for a fact that all it will take is a bit of prodding and the right circumstances, and they won't be able to resist each other."

James rolled his eyes as she grinned at him in triumph, his dark hair windswept from Quidditch training.

"They've known each other their whole lives, Ella. We're like family. It's not going to happen."

Ella glanced at the booth that their siblings had adjourned to before smirking at James. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"Doing?" James said with a laugh of disbelief. "You're taking credit for whatever may or may not happen between our siblings?"

"I most certainly am," Ella assured him, nodding so vehemently that her blonde ponytail waved through the air. "It was my idea they go away together in the first place, and I've made sure to drop subtle comments about the other to both of them at various points over the past few months."

"You've been meddling?" James asked in astonishment.

"Don't think of it as meddling," Ella said with a roll of her eyes. "Think of it as merely reading the signs and helping the inevitable come about."

James shook his head and laughed disbelievingly. "Whatever you may think, Ella, you can't make two people fall in love with each other. It doesn't work like that."

"I'm not saying it does," she said. "But two people who've known each other their whole lives are less likely to act on their feelings than those who meet by chance later on in life. They need all the help they can get."

James merely sighed and gave her a sympathetic smile, obviously convinced she was being ridiculous.

"Mark my words, James Potter," she said with authority. "We're going to be family one of these days, and there's nothing you can do about it."

He laughed heartily at that and chanced a glance over his shoulder at their siblings. Ella followed the direction of his gaze and was pleased to see that Sarah was sitting rather close to Al, who had his arm draped over the back of the booth as they laughed and talked animatedly.

"See?" she said victoriously as James turned to face her once again. "All in a day's work."

"It doesn't mean anything," James reasoned with her. "It takes more than a look and a word for a relationship to work. You'll understand when you're older."

Ella scowled at him. "I hate when you talk to me like I'm a child."

"Well, you've always been one to me," he said with a smirk and a sip of his whiskey.

"You're only six years older," she said with disdain.

"And wiser."

She shot him a look, but it was impossible to stay mad at James when he grinned at her like that.

"Is this going to become a habit of yours?" he asked. "Matchmaking?"

"It just might," she said with an evasive air. "If I'm shown to have a knack for it."

James chuckled once again.

"Merlin help us all if you do."

* * *

It was less than a year later when Al and Sarah announced their engagement, and Ella had grinned cockily at James when Sarah thanked her younger sister during a toast at their engagement dinner.

The pair had gone on their holiday a month after it had been initially discussed, and while they hadn't come back from their trip as a couple, it was only a few short weeks later that Al finally mustered up the courage to make his move.

He'd walked straight up to Sarah at the bar one night and kissed her before either of them could even say hello. Obviously, Sarah had responded eagerly, and later explained to her sister that she had actually kissed Al the last night of their holiday. This also explained why Sarah had been a little out of sorts and Al had been a bit absent since they'd returned. That first kiss had been brief and rather impulsive, and she'd hastily apologized before escaping back to her room. Neither had said or done anything about it until that night at the Leaky, and there was no going back after that.

They quickly became one of those typical couples who couldn't do without each other and were soon so undeniably in love, that Ella had a hard time believing it had taken as long as it had for them to get together.

"They're still young," Anne Warren had pointed out to her one day. "It only feels like it's taken a long time because they've known each other forever. If they'd only met a year ago, we'd all be commenting on how fast it's all gone."

Ella wasn't complaining about the speed with which her sister was working her way towards matrimony, and she was tremendously happy for her. It did sadden her a bit to know that things would be different now, and that her mother wasn't there to see her eldest daughter so happy. But the joys of the occasion far outweighed the momentary glimpses of melancholy.

They were married in a beautiful and intimate ceremony that it seemed the whole of the wizarding world had been invited to. The reception that followed was full of life, but Ella found herself to be more somber than she'd anticipated. She'd smiled and been truly ecstatic for her sister and new brother-in-law throughout the day, but Sarah had accepted a position as a delegate for her department, and Al had found a way to be transferred to Cairo as well, so the two of them would be moving to Egypt in a few weeks time.

"Chin up, Ella," James said as he approached her during the reception, taking in her rather melancholy state. "They'll visit often, and you know my mum won't stand for them keeping away once the grandbabies start popping up."

She managed a smile as he stood next to her, both of them watching as their siblings held each other on the dance floor. The love they shared shone brightly as they beamed radiantly at each other, completely lost in the moment.

"I know," she said with a sigh. "But I'll still miss her."

Ella leaned against James gratefully when his arm came around her shoulders in a comforting embrace.

"It's all your fault anyway."

Pulling slightly away, Ella looked up at James in shock. "What on earth do you mean?"

James grinned down at Ella, pulling her closer so his arm was around her neck and he could point at their siblings.

"I seem to recall you saying you prodded quite a bit to make that happen. I'd have thought you'd be gloating about your lucky guess."

"There was nothing lucky about it," she assured him, her spirits returning with the reminder of her success. "That takes talent and intuition, which I happen to have in spades."

James laughed heartily. "Keep telling yourself that, love."

Ella just rolled her eyes at him before turning her attention back to the room at large as Sarah and Al's first dance ended and they were joined by more couples on the dance floor. She fruitlessly asked James if he had any interest in dancing together, knowing full well he'd say no. She'd never seen him dance in his life, and he wasn't about to change his ways for her, as he so graciously reminded her.

As she and James stood observing the crowd of people, Ella's eyes eventually landed on Anne Warren, who was seated at a table with Ella's father and the Potters, watching the dancing almost wistfully. She'd never married and barely dated, and Ella was never sure why. Anne was caring and hard working, not to mention rather pretty. Her features were delicate, her hair cropped short but still feminine, and her figure slight but healthy. She wasn't quite thirty-five, and she still had plenty of life to live.

Watching her sitting there on her own gave Ella a sudden idea, and she quickly scanned the crowd. It was with a jolt of shock that she noticed someone close by Anne who was paying a great deal of attention to her. Draco Malfoy was standing a table away and talking with George Weasley, but his attention seemed to keep drifting to where Anne sat.

Ella had known Draco for most of her life, and he'd gone through some rough times. After the role his parents had played during the war, his family had fallen from grace and lost their entire fortune, but Draco Malfoy had done his best to turn his life around. He'd fallen in love and married Astoria Greengrass, who'd never had the strongest disposition. She'd died only a few years after their son was born, and since Draco was still struggling to make ends meet, Astoria's older sister Daphne had offered to take young Scorpius to live with her in France so he could have proper schooling and be well provided for. Draco had had no other choice, and though he'd gone to visit his son every year, Scorpius Malfoy hadn't been seen in London in twenty years.

But Draco had managed to do well for himself. He eventually made amends with the Potters and the Weasleys to the point where they were even friends, though he and Ron Weasley would probably never been on wonderful terms.

The Malfoy name no longer carried the same stigma it had before. He'd managed to dedicate his life to work and climbed the ladder until he was able to make his own business investments. He now owned his own inn not far from the Leaky Caldron, which Ella had been thankful for. The population had grown since the war, and she constantly found herself having to turn away guests. They'd needed the growth in the market.

Ella had only heard good things about the Emerald Inn, and had even been by a few times herself to dine at the restaurant attached to it. Malfoy had truly seemed more settled than he had in awhile, and Ella had an inkling that he was now anxious to share his life with someone else, having been alone for so very long. And if she was reading things correctly, he might not mind if that someone was Anne Warren.

"What are you staring at?" James asked, removing his arm from around Ella's shoulders as he tried to gauge where her sight was locked.

"Give me a moment," she told him quickly, before making her way around the edge of the dance floor and towards her intended target. She dodged wellwishers and those desiring to question her about her own relationship status, before she finally found herself at Draco Malfoy's side.

"Ella," George Weasley said when she approached them, bending down to kiss her cheek. "You look fetching."

She smiled graciously at him. "And you're as charming as always, George."

He laughed in delight.

"I believe James is looking for you," she invented easily, and George rolled his eyes.

"Probably having issues with the fireworks. I never should have left it to amateurs."

And with that, George was quickly off to find his nephew, and Ella was left to play out her scheme.

"It's a beautiful wedding," Draco said to her, and Ella thanked him with a kind smile as his gaze continued to flicker towards Anne.

"Are you not much of a dancer, Mr. Malfoy?" Ella asked. He looked at her in surprise.

"I don't mind it, when I get the chance," he said with a slight smile.

"Well, now seems as good of one as any," she said encouragingly. "And I happen to know that Anne is rather fond of dancing as well. It's a shame no one's asked her."

She looked despondently at her friend, who happened to glance their direction at that moment and blushed before looking away. Ella glanced up at Draco to see his gaze fixed on Anne. He was a good foot taller than Ella, which wasn't saying much, and his hair was starting to thin and streak with white. She knew he was the same age as her father, but the trouble of his younger years had aged him a bit. He was still handsome, and he wore his age well.

"Do you think she'd… " he began to say, but seemed to remember himself and stopped.

"I think she'd be very happy to stand up with you, Mr. Malfoy," Ella assured him. And Draco nodded, only hesitating for a moment before confidently striding towards Anne. He stopped by her chair and spoke to her in a low voice. Ella watched in delight when Anne smiled shyly at him and accepted his extended hand before they moved to join the crowd of dancers. She was only able to unabashedly enjoy her success for a few moments before James found her again.

"Are you at it again already?" he asked with a roll of his eyes, but Ella wasn't to be deterred.

"I told you. Sometimes people just need a slight prod, and the rest will work itself out in due time."

James chuckled as the music slowed and Ella watched Anne and Draco swaying slightly and talking easily.

"Here's hoping your meddling doesn't come back to haunt you one of these days," James said knowingly, but Ella didn't heed his warning. Things with Al and Sarah could not have gone better. This day was proof of that. And Anne and Draco seemed to be getting on splendidly already. She wouldn't have ever said something so cocky out loud, but as far as Ella was concerned, she truly believed she could do no wrong in the ways of matchmaking.

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome to a new story! I'm happy to report that I currently have the whole thing written and it stands at twenty-one chapters plus prologue and epilogue. I'd love to hear your initial thoughts so make sure you leave a review, especially if you follow!**

 **As far as the story goes, this is in a world all of its own and not at all connected to anything else I've written. Aside from working on various stories in my NextGen cannon _Show a Little Faith_ world, I have a handful of ideas for putting some of my favorite films and movies into the world of Harry Potter. I've already done a Scorose _You've Got Mail_ called _Falling For You?,_ and this particular story is a retelling of Jane Austen's _Emma_ , a story that I absolutely love. If you're familiar with it, I hope you enjoy! If not, enjoy the ride :)**

 **P.S. I'd like to go ahead and apologize for killing off both Hannah and Astoria. I thought about reworking the story a bit so I didn't have to since it truly pained me to do it, but I found this to be the way the story works best. Thanks for understanding.**


	2. The New Girl

Ella's twenty-first birthday had come and gone before she finally felt settled into her role as landlady and manager of the Leaky Cauldron, and the timing couldn't have been better.

Draco Malfoy had proposed to Anne Warren earlier in the year, and they were married two months after Ella's birthday on a beautiful day at the beginning of October. It was with a combination of happiness and sorrow that Ella faced that day. Her joy and support for her dear friend was overflowing, but once again, her life would be changing. Anne was going to be leaving the Leaky Cauldron to assist her husband in his business - a decision that had not been made lightly and that Ella had encouraged Anne to make.

"But, Ella, are you sure you'll be alright without me?" Anne had asked a few months after Draco had proposed. "You're still so young and your father's only home on weekends and your great-gran has to be taken care of."

"Anne, I'll be fine," Ella had assured her, fully believing her words. "I'll hire someone else to help shoulder the extra workload. You've taught me everything you need to, and this was the plan the whole time, wasn't it? Maybe we assumed you'd still be around to help, but you can't tell me you never wanted your own family. And now you'll be able to have that with Draco. Fully committing to Draco by joining him at the inn makes sense. And I fully support it."

It had been all settled after that, and as Ella sat at the bar the night of the wedding, well after the bride and groom had gone off on their honeymoon and the pub had closed for the evening, she couldn't help feeling slightly sorry for herself, despite the hand she'd played in bringing about the day's proceedings. Her father was equally sad to see Anne go and had even asked her every day during the week leading up to the wedding if she was sure she wanted to go through with it. Anne had taken it in stride, assuring Neville with an affectionate smile that she wouldn't be changing her mind. He was happy for her, but sad to see her go and in a bit of a somber mood at the end of the evening as well. But while Ella had elected to stay up for a night cap, Neville had gone to bed early, merely kissing his daughter on the head before heading upstairs, leaving Ella to her thoughts and a bottle of wine after Matt the barman left and locked up.

As she sat at the bar - still wearing the light pink dress she'd worn while standing at her friend's side - Ella found it hard to pull herself out of the funk she was in. She didn't even bother to turn around when she heard someone unlocking the door to the inn, causing the bell over the door to chime. Her gaze remained focused on the bar in front of her as footsteps sounded across the hardwood floor, followed by the scraping of the stool next to her being pulled out. She recognized the tired sigh and the familiar smell of leather and musk that accompanied James Potter as he sat beside her.

He was silent for a few moments before he picked up the box of drawing pencils that was sitting on the bar next to a closed spiral bound notebook.

"These new?" he asked, giving the box a small shake.

"Birthday gift," she said, "from your aunt Hermione."

James gave a nod as he set the box back on the bar. "I thought you hated her."

Ella looked at James in annoyance. "I do not. I only hate it when she's overbearing or won't shut up about how talented and smart her beautiful daughter is."

"So you hate Rose," James said with a smirk. Ella shot him a look as she turned back to her wine.

"Stop teasing. You know I love your family. Despite all their faults."

"How generous of you," he said in amusement. Ella didn't respond, her mind back on the joy and the sorrow that the day had brought.

"Not feeling inspired?" he said with a nod towards the unopened notebook. Ella merely shrugged and topped off her glass of wine.

"So, how much did you cry?" he asked with a sigh, grabbing a glass from behind the bar and taking the bottle from her.

"I should take away your key if you're just going to come here to make fun," she said somewhat grumpily.

"Where would I sleep?" he asked, completely unfazed by her threat.

"Maybe your actual house."

"You know you'd be bored without me," he said with a smirk.

"I would be no such thing. And you stink."

"I showered after the match so I know full well I don't," he easily countered. Ella merely gave a grunt before taking a long drink of her wine. "Having a rough time with it?"

His words came out understanding rather than teasing, and Ella found herself sighing in resignation. "A little bit. At least she's only down the road. She didn't pack up and move to another continent like our stupid siblings."

James gave a light chuckle. "Exactly. You can see her every day, if you like."

"It'll be different, though," she said sullenly, taking another sip of her wine. Her other hand was resting on the bar and James covered it with his own, giving a reassuring squeeze.

"That doesn't have to be a bad thing. Look at it as an opportunity to really take charge here. I know you'll be great at that."

Ella gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, James."

"And who knows," he continued, removing his hand from hers and taking his own sip of wine. "Maybe it'll be your turn next."

"My turn for what?" she asked in confusion.

"To get married."

The comment had Ella staring at James in wide eyed shock for a moment before she burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" he asked in confusion. Ella just continued to laugh.

"James," she finally gasped out, working hard to control her laughter, "I'm never going to get married."

Ella shook her head. Her blonde hair that had been pulled up for the wedding was starting to come loose and a few strands bounced around her face as she reeled at the ridiculous notion. She continued chuckling quietly to herself as James watched her incredulously.

"Why do you say that?" he finally asked.

Ella merely rolled her eyes at the question. "When have you ever known me to show an interest in marriage?"

"I'd say all the matchmaking would make it appear that you might be open to the idea."

"That's different. That has nothing to do with what I want for my life. People should have what makes them happy, and I'm perfectly happy living here and running the inn. Everyone I know who's gotten married has had to leave or drastically change their life in some way. Maybe that's great for them, but I'd rather not go through the fuss of all that. Who'd take care of things here if I met someone who wanted me to move to another town with him or, Merlin forbid, leave the country entirely? I couldn't do that to my dad. Not with Sarah leaving."

They were silent for a moment, Ella thinking her reasonings quite solid. But James wasn't quite as convinced.

"Surely you're not _wholly_ opposed to the idea?" he asked. Ella gave a noncommittal shrug.

"Who am I to say what the future holds? All I know is that it would take one hell of a man to get me to change my mind."

James chuckled, shaking his head in amusement as he finished off his wine. "You're a stubborn witch, Ella Longbottom. Merlin help the man who falls in love with you."

"Same goes for the witch who manages to snag you," Ella said with a smirk. "Not that you'd ever manage to fall in love. You don't have a romantic bone in your body."

"Says who?" James asked, and Ella rolled her eyes at his indignation.

"Says you, silly. Maybe not explicitly, but all the signs are there. The real love of your life will always be Quidditch."

James gave an indignant huff but didn't deny her words before downing the rest of his wine.

"How was the match?" asked Ella, delighted to see his features light up at the change of topic. She listened with a small smile on her face as James made a show of retelling the close defeat of the Appleby Arrows his team had managed. James had been playing professional Quidditch since he left Hogwarts and was now well settled into his role of Chaser and Captain of the Tutshill Tornados. He'd even recently purchased a house and some land not far from where his team's pitch was located, though he still spent half his time living in one of the rooms at the Leaky Cauldron. While she remembered him from her childhood and the one year they spent at school together, this James, the one who came into her pub after a match - sometimes without even showering - was the one she knew best.

"When does the new hire start?" James asked when Ella finally made to turn in for the night.

"Beginning of next week," she said with a smile, the depressing aspects of her day forgotten in her excitement about the young girl she'd just hired to take over some of the serving duties she'd been able to handle herself before Anne left.

Ella's search for a new employee had succeeded in more ways than she'd been expecting. The girl she hired was rather timid, though eager to please and ready to learn everything she could. Not only was she a hard worker and determined to prove herself, but she also seemed to be just the type of person that Ella could take under her wing and be a good influence on in all areas of life.

Helen Smith was a rather simple girl with curly brown hair that she didn't seem to quite know what to do with, and large and eager green eyes. She was almost a head taller than Ella, and her height combined with her long limbs and slender figure made her seem uncoordinated, but there was still something becoming about it.

The young witch had just graduated from Hogwarts and didn't have much family to speak of. Her parents were Muggles who didn't take kindly to their daughter being a witch and refused to be of help to her when she left school. Ella had been more than happy to give the girl a job and even offered lodging as well. Helen had been shy to accept at first, but Ella would have it no other way, and Helen moved into one of the suites they'd kept open for family and occasions like this.

They'd only known each other a week, but the two were already fast friends, and Ella was enjoying having a constant companion once again. She'd always gotten along well enough with Cassie, who was a couple years older and had been working at the inn for a few years now, but the older girl had always been so quiet and reserved that it was hard to get to know her. The only person who had ever really succeeded in doing so was her best friend, Lily Potter.

Then there was Gina, who had been in the same year as Ella at Hogwarts, only worked weekends, and always wanted to tell Ella what to do. Helen, however, seemed just as eager for a friend and even a mentor as Ella was to be one.

"I don't know much about alcohol, Miss Ella," Helen said nervously her first day on the job.

"That's why we're training you, Helen," Ella assured her. "You'll be shadowing Matt later tonight, but he's going to talk you through some of it now."

The young barman - who'd been working at the pub since he'd left Hogwarts the year before Ella - smiled kindly at a very nervous Helen before beginning to talk her through the different beverages behind the bar. He was rather spritely, had an infectious smile, and always seemed to be flicking his mop of dirty blond hair out of his eyes. His new goal was to eventually be a full time mediwizard, but he'd kept his job of working evenings at the bar while he went through his training. Ella held in a chuckle as he began to explain his method of organization behind the bar.

It was at a slow point in the day between lunch and dinner, so they were thankfully reasonably empty. After checking on the few patrons, Ella left it to Cassie to see to things while she made herself at home in her favorite booth by the fire to look over some of the more tedious aspects of the business. She wasn't long immersed in her task when a pleasant interruption in the form of Anne Warren Malfoy made her way into the pub.

"You look excited," Ella commented as Anne sat across from her, her eyes shining brightly and her face tight as she tried desperately not to let a smile take over her features.

"I'm trying not to get my hopes up _too_ much," Anne said in a would-be-calm voice, "but Draco had an owl from Scorpius this morning. He's coming to visit."

Whatever else might have been on Ella's mind was completely forgotten at this news. "Are you sure?"

"Well, he said he _hopes_ he can come some time this fall, but the way Daphne seems to always claim to need him whenever he makes any move to come see his father, we never really know. He said she agreed, though. So it's the most promising his plans have been so far."

Ella squealed in excitement as Anne beamed. Scorpius Malfoy had always been an enigma. As he'd spent most of his upbringing in France, his aunt had insisted that he attend Beauxbatons, so Ella had never met him. Many people who knew Draco hadn't met his son. They'd all hoped he'd make it for the wedding, but his aunt had stepped in once again to prevent him from coming.

"She blames Draco for Astoria's death," Anne had said in frustration on the day they'd heard Scorpius wouldn't be coming for the wedding. "Claims that she would have been fine if he'd been able to provide a house that wasn't drafty, along with proper medical care."

Ella had been unable to refute this claim as it was the popular gossip that this was the source of Daphne's grudge. Daphne Greengrass had held onto what was left of her sister in her nephew, and she'd even saw fit to set him up with a job in Lyon working with her husband's magical law firm once he was done with school. Some had thought he'd come home once his schooling was done, but her claws were in deep, and Scorpius' letters made it sound like he believed he owed his aunt, seeing as she'd done so much for his education. She also suffered from the same ill health as her sister and would always claim that it would distress her too much to be without her dear nephew. So the fact that she'd actually agreed to let him come was an extremely rare miracle.

"He said to expect him the first week of November, if all goes to plan," Anne continued in barely repressed excitement.

"That's wonderful, Anne," Ella couldn't help but gush. There was something positively romantic about the idea of a long lost son finally returning home. Not that Ella was getting any ideas, but the prospect of finally meeting the well bred and well educated young wizard who'd grown up in France had her giddy with delighted anticipation.

Their excitement was interrupted by the entrance of Eddie Finnigan, his attire as fashionable as ever and his hair cut into a stylish fade, though not so long that it was in danger of falling in his eyes. Ella waved in greeting to the very same young man who was responsible for breaking the heart of poor Penelope Jenkins a few years prior, though Ella could scarcely bring herself to feel sorry for the girl. She'd been rather beastly during Ella's time at Hogwarts, never caring much for those who she considered to be beneath her. It wasn't as though she went out of her way to treat them poorly, but her condescending attitude could not be missed by anyone.

Ella had actually been surprised that Eddie had stayed with Penelope as long as he had. He'd always been friendly and well meaning, if a little arrogant. She hadn't known him during their time at Hogwarts, but he'd been in the same year and house as Hugo Weasley, and the two were still good friends and often seen at the pub together. His father was friends with Ella's father and owned the company that supplied firewhiskey to the Leaky Cauldron. So it wasn't that odd of a sight for Eddie to show up during typical business hours, as he was his father's number one salesman.

"And how are you two lovely ladies this fine morning? I hope I'm not interrupting," he said with a charming smile as he approached their table. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd check on your stock."

"Join us, by all means," Ella said with a smile, and Eddie happily pulled a chair up to the end of their table. "I heard Penelope's back in town," she said sympathetically. "How're you doing?"

"Oh, I've more than moved on from that," he assured her with a dismissive wave. "I haven't run into her and I don't plan to. I'd much rather talk about what you charming women have been up to. I thought you were working over at your husband's inn?" he asked Anne.

"I am," she assured him. "I just stopped by to see Ella and share some news. Scorpius is planning to visit next month."

"Really?" Eddie said with excitement. "It'll be smashing to finally meet him. I've only heard good things about the bloke. Did he really single handedly put away a notorious illicit magical creatures smuggler?"

"I'm not so sure about that," Anne said with an amused chuckle. "I know he helped with the case, that much is true."

"Well, I really do look forward to meeting him," Eddie said eagerly.

"We should throw a party," said Ella, her joy at not being the only one excited to meet the younger Malfoy emboldening her and tearing away all her fears of appearing over eager. "We could have it here and it could be casual so he doesn't feel too overwhelmed, but it gives him the chance to at least meet everyone. And this way you and your husband don't have to worry about throwing one and you can actually enjoy yourselves."

"I'll talk to Draco," said Anne, seeming pleased with the idea.

"Miss Ella, sorry to bother you. But there's someone in the back delivering some salmon but the schedule says we're supposed to be getting cod but he's insisting and everyone else is busy and I'm not sure what to do."

Helen seemed completely flustered and distressed by the predicament as her round eyes nervously flickered between the three people at the table.

"Don't worry about it, Helen. I'll take care of it," Ella said placatingly as she stood. She poured a glass of water from the pitcher at her table and handed it to the still slightly panicking girl, instructing her to sit and compose herself while she handled the situation. It took ten minutes to sort things with the supplier, and when Ella came back out into the pub, she was pleasantly surprised to see that not only had Helen calmed down, but Eddie Finnigan had taken the initiative to talk to the young woman and set her even more at ease. Helen was smiling easily, though still understandably a little nervous around the charming young wizard, and Eddie was speaking to her in a buoyant manner.

"First days are always hard," Ella heard him say as she approached the booth. "It'll get easier. I'm sure you're not doing as bad as you think."

Helen gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you," she said in a timid voice, noticing Ella as she reached them. "I suppose I should be getting back to work."

She stood and Ella gave her instructions to have Cassie show her how they handled carry-out orders before the girl walked off and Ella resumed her seat.

"She seems sweet," Anne said with a fond smile.

"I'm glad you like her," said Ella. "She's inexperienced, but she makes up for it in willingness to learn."

"Well your judgment does you credit," said Eddie. "She's perfectly lovely and shows a lot of promise."

They enjoyed the company of Eddie Finnigan till it was almost time for the dinner rush. He then stuck to his initial story of coming to check their stock, and Ella took him back to the storeroom, bringing Helen with them to show her around. He'd been incredibly agreeable and complimentary during his visit, and it pleased Ella to see him being so kind to her new employee. She encouraged him to feel welcome to stop by anytime, and he left them with the promise to do so within a few days to see how Helen was getting along.

"He's so nice," Helen said shyly as Ella showed her how to man the register.

"Oh yes," Ella agreed, a plan slowly forming in her head. "He's a frequent customer as well as a business associate, so you'll be seeing a lot of him."

Helen gave a smile at this, but didn't give much away otherwise.

"Rather fit too, don't you think?" Ella prodded, and was delighted to see a slight flush appear on Helen's cheeks. The poor girl was saved from answering by the first dinner customers arriving and Helen being quick to go shadow Cassie in her serving responsibilities as she'd been previously instructed. What Ella hadn't expected to see, was Helen jumping up and down in delight before rushing at the tall, blond, young man who'd entered the pub, closely followed by what could only be his twin brother.

It took Ella a moment, but the second she realized who they were, she felt a rush of annoyance. Lorcan and Lysander Scamander were the twin sons of her father's friend Luna and her husband Rolf. They were a few years younger than Ella, but she'd grown up knowing the boys, and they were about as eccentric as their parents.

The Scamander family lived a rather vagabond existence, always flitting off to chase after some exotic or imaginary creature. This meant that not only did they have a rather unstable lifestyle and hardly had a place to call home, but their sense of style was nonexistent. They wore clothes that consisted of all eclectic articles from around the world. At the current moment, Lorcan - who'd received the initial and ecstatic greeting from Helen - was wearing a navy blue jumpsuit that zipped up the front and a pair of combat boots. His brother wore a raggedy poncho over faded jeans with worn out sandals on his feet.

Ella barely had a moment to wonder how in the world Helen could be on such good terms with the two brothers before she was jubilantly waving her over.

"Miss Ella, these are my friends, Lorcan and Lysander Scamander. I traveled with them over the summer."

Ella couldn't help but look at the two boys in surprise. They gave her small waves in greeting as they looked at her with somewhat vacant and innocent expressions. Helen had mentioned during her interview that she'd spent the summer traveling with some good friends of hers from school before she started looking for jobs, but she'd never mentioned that it had been the Scamanders.

"Good to see you both," Ella said with a forced smile and a small wave of her own. Helen's eyes lit up in excitement at the greeting of familiarity.

"Oh, well then, you already know each other," she said, sounding truly pleased by this development. "What brings you to town?" she asked Lorcan.

"We knew it was your first day," he said with a gesture to his brother, who'd been distracted by something out the window and was staring dreamily out of it, no longer paying attention to the conversation. Ella would wager that it was more Lorcan's idea than Lysander's to come see Helen on her first day of work. Helen seemed positively thrilled by this show of thoughtfulness.

"That's so sweet," said Helen, her eyes looking adoringly at the odd boy. "Oh, did you managed to read the book I lent you?" she asked suddenly. Dread at having to disappoint her crossed Lorcan's face.

"No, but I've been meaning to," he assured her when she seemed dismayed. "I've been wanting to learn more about Merpeople since we're traveling to Greece in a month, so I'll be sure to read it and get it back to you before then."

This seemed to placate Helen, who smiled at him.

"I brought you something," Lorcan said, fumbling in the pocket of his jumpsuit until he pulled out what looked like the claw of a lobster, only it was grey with green spots. He handed it to Helen, who handled it gently and looked at it in wide-eyed wonder.

"It's the claw of a Mackled Malaclaw," Lorcan explained. "They actually cause bad luck for a week when they bite you, so it's said to bring you _good_ luck to have one of their claws. Thought it seemed appropriate for your first day and all."

He said this with a shy shrug, and Helen looked at him in awe for a moment before throwing her arms around his neck in an exuberant hug.

"It's wonderful," she said, pulling back and cradling the claw gently in her hands, looking down at it fondly. "It's the most perfect gift anyone's _ever_ given me." She held it against her chest and gave him a brilliant smile. "Thank you so much."

Lorcan smiled back at her, his cheeks flushing at her praise and gratitude, and Ella was thankful to be able to find an excuse to pull Helen away from the attentions of the strange boy by the arrival of more customers. Helen looked at Lorcan apologetically when Ella informed her they needed to be getting back to work, and Lorcan grabbed the attention of his brother so the two could be seated by Cassie.

"Aren't they lovely?" Helen said after they'd taken the orders of their current lunch crowd.

"Aren't what lovely?" Ella asked in confusion as she put the orders in to Sally the cook.

"Well, I guess I _really_ just mean Lorcan," Helen corrected as she followed Ella around and observed what she was doing. "Lysander's nice too, but he's a little spacey at times."

Ella gave a derisive snort that went unnoticed by Helen.

"But Lorcan was so thoughtful to want to stop by. And to bring me something special and meaningful too."

"I suppose," said Ella as she and Helen filled the drink orders for two of their tables. "He forgot to read the book you gave him, though," she pointed out, and the content smile that had been on Helen's face started to slip.

"Well, he said he would," she said in his defense as she placed a few bottles of butterbeer on a tray. "Although, he seemed so excited when I gave it to him, I would have thought he'd want to read it right away."

Seeing the conflicted look on Helen's face, Ella paused in her task of filling a pitcher with water to turn to her new friend.

"Look, I've known them both their whole lives," she said in a quiet tone so as not to be overheard, "and Lorcan is just as spacey as his brother. They've both always been rather odd, though not quite as odd as their mother."

"Oh, but Mrs. Scamander is so kind," Helen said in defense of Luna, and Ella was quick to agree with her.

"But the family's not very stable as a whole," Ella reasoned. "I can think of a dozen blokes who are much more suited to giving a girl any type of special attention than either of the Scamander boys, who fly off to who knows where the moment they find out their beloved Crumple Horned Snorkack has been spotted. Take Eddie Finnigan, for example. Works a steady job and has a respectable family and does well for himself. Not to mentions he's so charming and thoughtful, don't you think?"

Ella resumed her task as Helen thought this over, and neither girl said anything else on the subject, though Ella did notice Helen was a little more reserved in her interactions with Lorcan as she waited on their table. She couldn't help but feel a small sense of triumph at this observation, feeling very much satisfied that she'd done a kindness to a naive girl who hadn't known any better.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the first chapter! I'm excited to see others excited about this story already :) If you are coming into this story without any knowledge of the source material, welcome! I hope you enjoy it, and I'd love to hear reviews from you as well.**

 **I had a one guest review that asked about Neville and Lily. Obviously, you see one of them here, and while Neville will be around, he doesn't take a prominent role throughout most of the story. As far as Lily goes, we will get to her later, although she is mentioned here as well. It was fun to explore that extra character that's not in the original story. I won't go too much into how I'm doing James' character, but I think the thing that he needs for the character to work is his independence and solid reputation, which he can have even though Harry and Ginny are still around.**

 **Keep the reviews coming! I always want to improve and you all help me do that. So thank you!**


	3. The Overbearing Mother

The promise Helen showed started to turn into actual competence within a few weeks of being on the job. Even James had said so, and his compliments were rare. Ella was very pleased by Helen's growth, and even more pleased that she was able to spend so much time in the younger girl's company. Though it wasn't something she would admit to anyone, it stroked Ella's ego to have someone who hung on her every word and was constantly at her disposal. It gave Ella the opportunity to share whatever wisdom she had gained throughout her young life, and Helen was so sweet tempered and eager to learn that barely a day went by where they didn't spend considerable time in each other's presence.

There was one such day in the middle of October when business was slow on a Monday afternoon. Helen had seen some of Ella's sketches and drawing tools lying around and inquired about them, and upon expressing a great desire to be able to draw herself and a wish to learn, Ella was happy to oblige.

They'd made themselves comfortable at Ella's usual booth while Cassie saw to their lone customer, both with drawing pads in front of them and pencils between them. They'd just about gotten through Helen's first rendering of a bird when Eddie Finnigan walked in, a clipboard under his arm and his jacket collar up to protect against the wind.

"You're just in time," Ella announced as he made his way towards them. "I've just been giving Helen her first drawing lesson."

Helen's cheeks turned bright red as Eddie expressed his great interest in seeing how both of them had been progressing.

"It's not very good, I'm afraid," said Helen, as Eddie came around the booth to look over her shoulder.

"But you already show so much promise," he said encouragingly, and began pointing out every positive thing that he could find in the rough sketch. Ella had to suppress a grin at the lavish compliments, knowing full well that while Helen's drawing wasn't all bad, it definitely couldn't be described as something to write home about.

"How'd you manage to get so talented?" he said, coming over to take in Ella's drawing after sufficient praise had been given to Helen's. Ella merely smirked as she finished off some shading on the breast of the robin.

"Birds are one of the first things I learned to draw," she said, an idea forming in her mind. "The human form, however, is much more difficult."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd be more than up to it," he assured her with a charming smile.

"Well, if you think so, perhaps I could be persuaded to draw Helen?"

Ella knew that her suggestion had caused Helen to flush brilliantly, but her focus remained on Eddie, whose face lit up with joy and excitement at the prospect. He immediately began to encourage her to do just as she'd suggested. Helen shyly agreed to the plan, and it was determined that Ella would sketch her the following Sunday after Helen finished her morning shift. Ella was a little taken aback by Eddie's desire to be present during the artistic endeavor, but she wasn't displeased. It was just more proof to her that Eddie Finnigan was smitten with Helen Smith.

He left them after going over Ella's order for the week, which had been his original purpose in stopping by. As Helen continued to agonize over the final strokes of her sketch, overcompensating in some places in order to fix her mistakes, Ella watched her, knowing she didn't want to push too far too soon, but wanting to at least gain a feel for where Helen stood in her regard for Eddie Finnigan.

"Eddie's been stopping by a bit more lately," Ella said with a sideways glance at her friend. Helen's hand stilled for a moment and some color rose to her cheeks, but she didn't say anything.

"I just couldn't help but notice that his more frequent visits seem to coincide with when you started working here," Ella prodded, and Helen actually looked at her this time, placing her pencil on the table.

"Do you think so?" Helen asked timidly, looking flattered at the idea, but not sure she should believe it.

"I think he's also become much more… tender? I suppose is the right word?" Ella continued. "He was a little hardened for a while after he ended things with Penelope Jenkins, but this is the most open and caring I've seen him since then. He's sort of been changing since the summer, so I had a feeling he'd finally start dating again. I don't think we will have to wait much longer for that to happen."

She gave Helen a coy smirk, and the younger girl now seemed to think over the matter much more plausibly. Her face took on a rather comical mask of shock when the reality that Ella was hinting at seemed to fully hit her.

"You think he's…?" she trailed off, too overcome with shock to say much else. Ella grinned in giddy delight.

"I think we can safely assume that he won't be going anywhere anytime soon," Ella said delightedly. "And I have to say, that's much more agreeable than having Lorcan in here all the time."

Helen didn't say anything, but turned back to her drawing, a frown on her face and a hint of sorrow in her eyes. Lorcan had stopped in a few more times since Helen had started working, but nothing much had come of it. And even though Ella wasn't about to change her mind or opinion on Helen's friendship with Lorcan, she did realize it was a little unfair to speak so poorly about him to his friend.

"It's not that Lorcan's all bad," Ella assured her. "I just think you shouldn't let yourself forget that you have other options. More stable ones, too."

Helen gave Ella a small smile. "I suppose so. I mean, he's no James Potter."

Ella laughed, thinking fondly on how kind James had been to her new employee over the past few weeks. "No, he most certainly isn't, though James is a rare case. He's a family man at heart and the picture of stability. Don't let him fool you into thinking he isn't. He can be a bit of a pain in the arse, but he's one of the best men I know."

"Just the fact that you think so highly of him is enough to convince me," said Helen. "And Eddie's very nice too. And definitely nice to look at."

They shared a giggle and recounted some of the compliments he'd given both of them as the sound of the bell above the door chimed.

Ella looked up and felt conflicting feelings of pleasure and foreboding as Hermione Weasley entered. She approached Cassie at the front and appeared to place an order before glancing around the pub and heading towards the two girls.

Ella hadn't been lying when she told James she didn't hate his aunt, but she _would_ be lying if she said the two always got along splendidly. The witch was rather overbearing, though in a way that you could tell came from a good place. She'd always gone out of her way to make sure Ella was taken care of, which the younger girl both appreciated and resented.

It also went without saying that Hermione Granger Weasley had done a lot for their world and for equality amongst wizards, Muggles, and magical beings. Her accomplishments became even more impressive when you knew that the torturing she'd suffered during the war at the hand of Bellatrix Lestrange had caused her mind to deteriorate slowly over the years. It wasn't so much that anyone would notice, but she had her moments when things went fuzzy and she couldn't think clearly. It was one of the reasons she'd turned down the nomination for Minister of Magic almost a decade ago.

There were many ways that Ella could look up to Hermione, and she did, but the one thing she could barely stand was when Hermione would sing the praises of the indisputably perfect qualities of her daughter.

Ella had gotten along with Rose tolerably well, as much as their age gap permitted. By the time Ella had left Hogwarts, Rose had moved to France to work for their ministry as a liaison, much like Al and her sister had done when they moved to Cairo. Rose, Sarah, and Al had all been rather close before Rose left, and Ella knew her sister missed her friend. Ella missed her too, if only because her presence in town meant she wouldn't have to endure hearing about Rose from her mother every time they saw each other.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Ella said with a pleasant smile as she stood from the table. "Picking up lunch?"

"Hello, dear," she said, kissing Ella on the cheek in greeting, "and yes. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to make shepherd's pie as well as Sally, or so my husband informs me."

She didn't seem too bothered by this assessment of her cooking, and Ella chuckled along with her.

"Are you getting on well?" Hermione asked Helen kindly, who nodded shyly. Not only was Hermione Weasley a well respected and high ranking Ministry official, but she was also a war hero. As Ella's own father was one and she'd grown up with plenty of others, she always found it amusing when people who weren't brought up in the same circle she was met a member of the Weasley/Potter family. Even some people were awestruck when meeting her father.

"Still getting used to things," Helen managed to say, who'd met Hermione a few times and so was slowly beginning to warm up to her.

"That's the way it is with first jobs," Hermione told her comfortingly. "It takes awhile getting used to things, but you'll get the hang of it in no time. I remember when Rose started her first job at the Ministry, and while she's always been brilliant, the stress even got to her a bit. Though, of course, it didn't last long. She's strong and she bounced back quickly. I'm sure you'll be the same and doing things in your sleep in no time."

She smiled kindly at the girl, who received the words gratefully, but Ella couldn't help but roll her eyes at the predictable mention of Rose Weasley.

"I actually got a letter from Rose yesterday," Hermione continued, and Ella shot Helen a look of annoyance as Hermione began searching in the pocket of her coat. This seemed to amuse Helen, but she controlled her features by the time Hermione had produced the previously mentioned letter. Ella did her best to not let her impatience show as Hermione talked through different parts of it.

"She's been spending a lot more time with Teddy and Victoire and the Delacours," said Hermione as she finished recounting the letter and folded it up before placing it back in her pocket. "Victoire's younger sister is getting married, and Rose spends quite a bit of time with Dominique and Raphael, her fiance. He's a lovely young man, too. We had the chance to meet him the last time we visited Rose and he had such nice things to say about her. Anyway, it's been so nice for her to have family around. I know she misses all of us, though."

"It's been ages since she's visited," Ella commented as Hermione paused.

"It's really been a shame that work has kept her so busy. We're hoping she can come home for Christmas, but she said she's not sure she'll be able to make it. Are Al and Sarah coming?"

Ella nodded, the thought of seeing her sister and brother-in-law and her niece and nephew allowing her to forget any other present annoyance. "We expect they'll be here for almost a month this time. And I'm sure they'd love to see Rose, so I hope she can make it."

Hermione agreed with the sentiment as Cassie approached with her sack of food.

"I best be getting back to work before my poor husband dies of starvation," she said with a teasing smile, and with a cheerful farewell, she left, and Ella collapsed back into the booth with an exhausted sigh.

"Why do you dislike her so much?" Helen asked curiously as they both began to pack up their drawing tools. Ella shrugged.

"I don't dislike her. It's just the same thing everytime. No matter the conversation, she's able to work her daughter into it and never has a bad word to say about her. I feel sorry for poor Hugo. She hardly ever talks about him. Though maybe that makes him the lucky one."

Helen laughed along with Ella as they made their way back towards the kitchen and the lunch rush kicked in.

"Maybe it's because she knows we see Hugo on a regular basis," said Helen, who'd met the younger Weasley on more than one occasion during her short time working at the Leaky Cauldron. She was obviously trying to give Hermione the benefit of the doubt when it came to showing favoritism to her daughter.

"You might have a point there," Ella allowed. "It's still annoying, though. She's not horrible by any means," Ella assured Helen. "Just a little much at times."

Helen nodded in understanding. "What about Rose?"

"Rose is every bit of perfection that her mother assures us she is," Ella said grumpily, shoving the pencils and notebooks up on a shelf in the kitchen. "Which might be one of the reasons I find Hermione's constant praise of her so unbearable."

"It would be nice for your sister, though," Helen said thoughtfully, "if Rose were to visit."

"I suppose it would," said Ella. "And I did mean what I said about hoping she could come. As much as I want my sister all to myself, I know their friendship means a lot to her."

"I can tell you're excited to see your family," Helen said with an understanding smile, and Ella nodded, doing her best to not let her emotions become completely unveiled across her face.

She was counting the days until Sarah and her family arrived. Ella missed them all every day, and she hadn't even met her niece yet. Little Eleanor Augusta Potter was only a month old, but it felt so strange to Ella that she'd yet to meet her. And the child was even partially named for her! James and Lily had both managed a trip out to Cairo within a few weeks of the birth, but not only did Ella have the pub to take care of, but she knew her father would have been worried sick for her to travel out of the country for the first time on her own. So she had to patiently wait for her new niece to come to her. Christmas couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

Helen had reached the point in her ability to do her job that Ella could once again afford to take some time off, and she did so with great pleasure the following evening.

After making sure her grandmother had everything she needed for the night, Ella made her way to the section of rooms that were set aside for long term stay. Helen was staying in one, and James had been living in another for years now. She was meeting him and Anne that evening and looking forward to the three of them spending time together like they used to, back before Anne married Draco. As she drew closer to James' room, Ella slowed to a halt when she heard their voices and picked out the mention of her name.

"-Ella's friendship with Helen?" she heard James asking.

"I think it's wonderful for her," Anne said, her tone slightly confused by the question. "Why? Do you not?"

She heard a sigh and the sound of James crossing the room before sitting down in his favorite wooden rocking chair by his fire.

"I'm not sure," he said slowly. "I think it's good for her to have company that's close to her age, but I've been able to observe them interacting, and I'm not sure it's the best thing for her."

"For which one?" Anne said pointedly, and Ella grinned to herself, picturing the hard look she was no doubt giving James.

"Both, I suppose. I know Helen's a sweet girl and there's nothing wrong with her, but Ella's a little too clever for her own good, and to be in a position where she holds so much influence…"

He trailed off uncertainly, and Ella did her best not to march right in and give James a piece of her mind as Anne responded.

"James, maybe Ella could actually teach Helen some things. You've seen them drawing together and compiling lists of books to read. And this encourages Ella to draw and read more as well. Things she always says she will do but rarely does."

"You know very well that she has an uncanny ability to set her mind to things only to never follow through," said James, though there was affection in his tone. "She's always making lists of books to read and saying she'll eventually learn to use watercolors, not to mention the beautiful piano that sits in her flat that she hasn't touched in years. I know you always encouraged her to do things like that, and if you couldn't get her to, I doubt her friendship with Helen will. And the girl hangs on Ella's every word. She hasn't had the influence of a mother or a sister and she's starving for it. As fond as I am of Ella, I'm just not sure she's the best place for Helen to get that kind of relationship. Ella's smart - maybe even the smartest in her family - and it's spoiled her in a way because she knows it."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" said Anne. "She might be a little spoiled as the youngest, but isn't Lily too? You're not going to be able to convince me that this is a bad friendship. I think they really will do each other good. And Ella's caring and considerate and she does work hard. She does a fantastic job with the inn and she always has."

"I know," said James, "and I'm proud of her, but it's easy to see that she gets bored, and Helen Smith is her newest project."

Ella let out a huff, deciding she'd listened to quite enough as she quickly stepped forward and opened his door without knocking. It gave her satisfaction to see James look up at her in shock, his butterbeer sloshing out a little bit from the bottle as he jumped. Anne didn't seem quite so on edge as she looked over her shoulder from her seat across from James and gave Ella a guilty smile.

"Do we have a problem?" asked Ella, closing the door behind her and crossing her arms as she shot James a dark look. The momentary shock of her presence had worn off, and he was looking at her resolutely.

"No, I just think you need to be careful," he said calmly. Ella huffed and rolled her eyes, moving to pour herself a glass of wine from the bottle that sat on a table by the window.

"I'll thank you to keep out of my business."

James chuckled. "Then why are you always telling me your business?"

Ella tried not to let her annoyance at his valid point show on her face as she moved to sit on the couch that was facing the fire. "I didn't realize you had such a low opinion of me," she said softly, realizing that his words had actually hurt, no matter how much truth might be in them.

"I don't," he assured her, sitting forward so he could catch her eye while she gazed into the fire. She still felt a bit annoyed, but any type of anger or bitterness melted away at the sincerity in his hazel eyes. "You're brilliant, and I'm sorry."

She melted even more at the honesty in his voice, but did her best to cover it up as she responded.

"My friendship with Helen is something you wouldn't understand. Women need other women to talk to about the troubles of life and to offer advice when needed. Helen doesn't really have anyone else and we get along well. I don't see why you have such an issue with this."

"Ella, I'm only looking out for you," James assured her. "I just don't want to see you making a mistake."

"And who says I will?" she challenged. "All I've done is show her how to do her job, introduced her to some wonderful people, and taught her to draw. Is there something wrong with any of those things?"

James sighed and sat back in his chair. "No. There's not."

Ella grinned triumphantly at him, taking a sip of her wine as Anne chuckled and shook her head in amusement.

"Why is no one ever on my side?" James complained, and the two women chuckled at his expense.

"That's what you get when you spend so much time around women," said Anne. "You'll find we only ever betray each other's trust to other women."

James rolled his eyes at this. "That sounds unhealthy."

"That's the way of the world, love," Ella said with a smirk. "Get used to it."

* * *

 **A/N: Shorter chapter this time, but things are developing! Hope you enjoyed it. Thoughts on James' opinion? On Ella's opinions? I'd love to hear _your_ opinions in a review! Leave me one of those, would ya? Heads up, the next chapter was one of my favorites to write, so we've got that to look forward to.**


	4. The Hopeful Vagabond

Everything was going according to Ella's plan by the time the end of October rolled around. Eddie was almost a permanent fixture of the Leaky Cauldron, and Helen had warmed up to him and come out of her shell beautifully, though she was still the timid young girl she'd always been.

"Sit still, Helen," Eddie said teasingly from his place by Ella as she hovered over her sketchbook. At first, he'd been wandering a bit aimlessly about the room, fiddling idly with one of Ella's drawing pencils and occasionally stopping to peer over her shoulder. He was now straddling a chair backwards with his arms resting along the top of it, watching Ella's progress intently while Helen sat in an armchair by the window in Ella's sitting room. It was the chair normally occupied by Ella's great-grandmother, but she spent her Sundays visiting friends with her son, so she wasn't home. It was the spot with the best lighting, and Ella had to admit that the coral color of the high wingback chair complimented Helen's features and complexion beautifully. It almost made Ella wish she were doing her in water color instead, but she'd never managed to be as proficient in that particular skill, which James had been so nice to point out a few days previously.

Helen was smiling shyly as Eddie threw out random comments about the progress of Ella's sketch, always with the highest praise about the definition of the cheek bones and the depth of the eyes. He was truly enraptured by the whole process and couldn't say enough about the finished product once it had been completed, even offering to get it framed himself.

"I'll leave it in your capable hands for the time being and come pick it up when I have time to get it done," he assured Ella as he studied the drawing. "You've really captured her beautifully."

"Thank you, Eddie," she said, but her eyes were looking suggestively at Helen, who was blushing and smiling in obvious delight at his praise. He left them with assurances to see them soon, and Ella immediately rushed to Helen's side, gripping her arm in excitement.

"Blimey, I thought he might fancy you, but I didn't think he'd make it so obvious!" Ella gushed.

"I can hardly believe it," Helen said, seeming truly surprised to be on the receiving end of the charming young man's attentions.

"Well you can believe this," Ella said with a conspiratorial smirk, "Eddie Finnigan will ask you out by Christmas, or I'm not a witch."

The three of them spent many evenings enjoying each other's company, with Hugo occasionally thrown in. Ella was convinced of Helen and Eddie's mutual affection for each other. Because her belief in this was so strong, Ella was astonished when Helen excitedly informed her of the recent development in her relationship with Lorcan Scamander a few days before November.

"I was just walking back from the post office," Helen said breathlessly, slightly damp from the rain as she closed the door to Ella's flat on Saturday morning, "and he called out to me. He was on his way here to return the book I lent him along with a letter for me, and I read it as soon as I'd left him."

Helen produced a crumpled letter from between the pages of the book that was spoiled by drops of rain. She held it out to Ella, who took it hesitantly, fearing what it contained.

 _Dear Helen,_

 _Thank you for the book. You were right. It was fascinating! I hope I'm able to put some of my new knowledge to good use when I'm in Greece. I truly can't wait to start exploring the many islands there._

 _I know this might be a bit abrupt, but I can't not tell you how I feel any longer. I love you, Helen. I've been in love with you for a long time. I know you have a job and I know this is rather last minute, but I want you to come to Greece with me. I'm leaving in two days and I don't have a plan for when I'll be back, but I know I want you with me._

 _I can't say life will be stable or predictable, and I don't know what the future will hold, but I know I'll love you. And I know we can be happy. Would you come with me?_

 _If it's a yes, I'll pick you up at 6am on Monday morning so we can head to the portkey office together. I can't wait to hear from you._

 _All my love,_

 _Lorcan_

Ella let out a sigh, reading over the letter a second time as Helen watched her, obviously agitated, but surprisingly excited.

"Do you think it's a good letter? It's not too short, is it? I honestly had no idea he was in love with me. I mean, we were always just friends in school and while we traveled this summer. It's all a bit shocking, really."

Ella folded up the letter, doing her best to organize her thoughts as she handed it back to Helen. Finally, she gave her friend a small smile.

"It's a nice letter," she said, and Helen smiled and sighed in relief. "Though he seems a little over confident to me. I'm guessing he put a great deal of effort into it, which means you should do the same with your answer."

"Oh, absolutely," Helen agreed, looking at the letter once again. She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm just so surprised. What on earth should I say?"

"Well, you should be perfectly clear," said Ella, leading Helen over to a desk in the corner of the room. She pulled out the chair and gestured for Helen to sit. The girl did so in a bit of a daze as Ella pulled out blank parchment and a quill and ink. "And be gentle," Ella continued. "You don't want to cause any unnecessary pain."

Helen looked up at Ella in shock, her large green eyes holding confusion and disappointment.

"Oh. You think I should say no?"

Of all the things that could have shocked Ella that morning, this did so the most.

"Wait," she said, grabbing a chair from her kitchen table and sitting after placing it by Helen, "you want to say yes?"

Helen chewed her lip anxiously, glancing between Ella, the letter, and the ominous blank parchment in front of her.

"I mean, I _do_ like him, I think," she said uncertainly. "But that doesn't mean I should say yes, right?"

Ella let out a sigh. "I suppose I jumped to conclusions. I only thought you were asking about how you should word your response, not what it should be. Helen, I shouldn't tell you what to do, so I won't. This has to be your decision."

She knew that her words had come out with a slightly judgmental tone, but she couldn't help it. Why would Helen want to throw away her job and her stability and the potential of dating someone like Eddie Finnigan for the chance to go galavanting around with someone like Lorcan Scamander?

"Think about it this way," Ella continued, unable to help herself as Helen looked completely beside herself with uncertainty. "Maybe you like him well enough to be his friend, but he certainly cares much more for you than that, so you owe it to both of you to sort out if you could feel the same. Can you honestly say that you know of no one else that could make you happier? No one else better suited to you and the life you already have? Could he honestly make you happy? If you think he will, then why hesitate? I think, generally speaking - and I don't wish to sway you in any way - but I've always believed that if you have serious doubts about a man, it's best to not even risk it. But the decision, of course, is entirely your own."

There was silence as Helen seemed to be thinking very hard over Ella's words, before she finally spoke.

"I think..." Helen said hesitantly. "I think it would be best… I think I want to say…" she looked almost pleadingly up at Ella, who did her best to give her an encouraging smile.

"No," Helen finally said with as much conviction as she could muster. "No, I don't think I want to go with him. Is that right?"

A sigh of relief fell out of Ella, and she smiled at her friend, who was watching her uncertainly.

"I think you have every right to make whatever decision you want, but I have to say, I'm so glad you made this one."

Helen smiled back and let out a small laugh of relief as Ella reached forward and gripped her hand.

"I wouldn't have been able to bare it if you'd left so soon after we'd become such close friends. And as sweet as Lorcan is, I just know he's not right for you."

"Oh, Miss Ella, your friendship means so much to me already, and I'd hate to lose that," said Helen vehemently. "And of course you're probably right about Lorcan. And besides, I wouldn't want to disappoint Eddie. He seemed so excited about getting together for cards this week."

Ella smiled gratefully at the young girl, truly thankful that she wasn't about to lose her friendship, and relieved that Lorcan Scamander didn't have quite as strong a hold on the girl's affections as she'd feared.

Helen quickly wrote her response, with some encouraging and helpful words from Ella, who even volunteered her owl for the delivery.

* * *

Ella felt relief when Monday came and went and Helen didn't change her mind and Lorcan never made an appearance. Not that Ella was truly worried. Helen had been resolved to send the letter as soon as she'd finished writing it, and the subject hadn't been brought up since. That is with the exception of Sunday afternoon.

Helen had the day off, and Ella was taking a rare weekend shift at the bar. It was always one of her favorite things to do, and she'd missed it since taking over managing fully. The lunch rush had ended and they were in that strange lull before dinner when James walked in.

"No training today?" Matt asked from where he was serving another customer down the bar. James took a seat in front of Ella as she smiled at him in greeting.

"Early morning session," he said with a sigh before he returned Ella's smile. "Slow day?"

"A bit," she said, glancing around the room at the handful of customers as she poured him a glass of butterbeer. He thanked her and took a long drink before setting it down on the bar and watching her stack clean glasses, a pleased smile on his face.

"What are you all happy about?" she asked suspiciously, which only made James' smile widen.

"Nothing. I just happen to know something that I think you'll be very interested in hearing."

Ella looked at him with a raised brow, slightly distracted as she continued to do her work.

"Well?" she asked impatiently when he continued to smirk at her. He let out a chuckle and sipped his drink before responding.

"Lorcan's in love with Helen."

Ella didn't even have to fake the look of shock that crossed her face. "What?"

"I bumped into him on Friday and we got to talking," James explained. "He said that not only is he in love with her, but that he wanted to ask her to go with him to Greece."

A proud smirk graced James' features, pleased that he seemed to know something before she did.

"Wow," Ella finally managed to get out, directing her gaze towards the bar and resuming her earlier task of wiping it down.

"He said he was going to talk to her yesterday," James continued. "Seemed like a fantastic idea to me, so I encouraged him to do it. I'm actually surprised you don't know already. I thought he would have said something by now."

"Who said he hasn't?" Ella said cryptically, turning her back to James and stacking a few clean glasses on a shelf.

"What?"

She turned and faced him, doing her best to keep from smirking in triumph. "He did say something yesterday. He wrote her a letter, actually. And she said no."

Ella tried not to swell with pride at the shocked look on James' face. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes searched her face as he digested the information.

"You're joking," he finally managed to say.

"Not in the least," Ella said nonchalantly. "He gave her the letter yesterday, and the one she wrote in response was perfectly clear. She said no."

As James continued to stare at her with a mix of incredulity and astonishment, Ella did her best to hide a smirk and retain an innocent expression as she went to refill his drink.

"Then she's a bloody idiot."

Ella almost forgot to shut the tap off in her shock at James' harshly spoken words. She set his glass back in front of him and composed herself.

"Helen is at perfect liberty to say no to any man that confesses feelings for her," Ella informed him. "She's not obligated to say yes. In fact, it's rather arrogant of you to assume she should return his feelings just because he happens to be in love with her. Do men really think that women are willing and maybe even just waiting to say yes to any man who shows interest?"

"That's not the point," James said forcefully. "The point is that I know she spent the summer with them, and I've even been able to see them interact on occasion. Anyone who saw them together would think she enjoyed the attention he gave her. And I've heard her talking about how she had a wonderful time traveling with him and that the Scamanders are the best type of people. I know that doesn't necessarily equate love, but there's obviously something there. She had to have encouraged him at some point because he's one of the most humble blokes I know. He wouldn't have said something if he didn't think he had a chance with her."

"Well maybe he did, at one point," Ella allowed. "But she's been in the real world long enough now to know better."

"What the hell does that mean?" James said in almost righteous indignation, and Ella signaled for him to keep his voice down as Matt and a few patrons glanced their way.

"It means that she knows she could do better and wants to. She's young and has plenty of time and opportunity to find someone who can offer her stability and happiness and a great deal more sense."

James watched silently as Cassie walked up and placed a tray of dirty dishes on the bar, giving them both funny looks before walking away. Before James could renew their argument, Ella flicked her wand so the tray levitated, turning to walk back into the kitchen as it followed behind her. She rolled her eyes in annoyance as she heard the door swing open again after it had closed, signaling that James had gone behind the bar and followed her.

"There another order?" Sally asked from a stool in the corner, taking some time to knit while there were no customers to attend to. Ella was about to respond when James spoke up.

"You might be a little naive when it comes to your friend, did you ever consider that?" he snapped at her.

Ella let out a sigh, waving her wand so the dishes started washing themselves before she turned back to face him. "You're not supposed to be back here," she said, but he ignored her.

"She's pretty and eager to please and gets along with everyone," he continued, "but otherwise?"

"Are you saying that she doesn't deserve someone better because she's, what, just a barmaid?" Ella asked indignantly. "That's a horrible thing to say."

The sound of Sally shuffling around and finally making herself scarce reached Ella's ears. James waited for the cook to leave before responding.

"That's not what I meant," James said. "I meant that she doesn't really have any lofty goals or aspirations at this point in her life. And there's nothing wrong with that. And maybe there's nothing wrong with her quitting her job so she can travel the world with someone that she cares about either."

"But staying here gives her other options that she might not have if she were to travel the wilderness," Ella insisted. "And plenty of men would be more than happy to find a pretty girl with a nice temperament, whether she's ambitious or not. Some men might even prefer it that she doesn't have any grand ideas about a career."

"Are you serious?" James asked in astonishment. "You want her to sit in the back seat her whole life to some man who probably won't appreciate her half as much as I know Lorcan already does?"

"Look, she's happy here," Ella insisted. "And I don't mean I want her to find someone to walk all over her. Merely that most blokes I know would rather have a girl who strokes his ego than challenges his mind. Which is ridiculous, by the way, but that's wizards for you."

"It's complete shite is what it is," James said in disbelief. "Honestly, Ella, it would be better for you to be a complete idiot than to come to these types of conclusions about the world."

"And now you're proving my point!" Ella practically shouted at him. "Men don't like it when girls argue with them! Which means that Helen is just the type of girl that any wizard would be grateful to find. Probably right up your alley were you ever to finally develop any type of partiality to romance."

James gave a mocking snort of amusement and rolled his eyes.

"She's young and should have the opportunity to date around if she wants to," Ella continued, ignoring James' look of derision. "And she won't get that if she flies off to who knows where with Lorcan Scamander. Now, are you ready to let this go?"

James shook his head, crossing his arms and taking a step towards Ella with a scrutinizing look.

"How much did you meddle?" he asked accusingly.

Ella rolled her eyes and sighed. "I merely behaved as any friend would."

"So you inserted yourself into her life and made sure she made the decision you were in favor of?"

"She asked for my advice!" Ella insisted. "What was I supposed to do? Tell her it was a good idea? That was never going to happen. I know Lorcan is sweet and well meaning," she said in a softer voice, "but he doesn't have much else to offer. I'm sorry to have to ruin any type of delusions you might have as far as your friend's appeal goes, but you have to admit that he's a bit ridiculous."

"Ridiculously in love with Helen!" James practically shouted in response. "And he has a family! A family that loves him and has grown to care for her and would welcome her with open arms. She doesn't have a family of her own, Ella. They want nothing to do with her. And you should know how much it would mean to her to be able to find that. I know how important family is to you. Why would you deny her that opportunity?"

Ella crossed her arms in a defensive position as she glared at James. "She doesn't need to be with Lorcan Scamander to find a family. She has plenty of other options."

"But she could do a hell of a lot worse than the one she's got."

They were interrupted by the door opening behind James and Matt sticking his head in.

"Sorry to interrupt," he began uncomfortably, "but Eddie Finnigan is here and says you have something he's supposed to pick up?"

Ella fought back a grin at this news, throwing a fleeting glance at James before moving past him and out of the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Eddie leaning against the bar, his hair lying as perfectly as ever as he beamed at her.

"I've come to collect your drawing," he told her cheerfully. "Finally have some free time today to take care of getting it framed."

"Thank you again for doing this," Ella told him, summoning the drawing with her wand before handing it over to Eddie. "Helen appreciates it so much."

"What is a man good for if not to flatter young ladies by doing them favors?" he said with a smirk. It only faltered when he caught sight of something behind Ella, and she looked over her shoulder to see James standing in the entrance to the kitchen, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed as he leaned against the door to prop it open and watch them.

"I'll get this back to you sometime this week," Eddie assured her, drawing Ella's attention back to him.

"You're always welcome anytime, but Helen will be working mornings all week so you should try and come by when she's here," Ella informed him. "I know she'd love to thank you personally."

"Absolutely," Eddie assured her. "And no need to worry, I'll keep this masterpiece perfectly safe," he said with a gesture to the drawing before bidding her goodbye. With a nod of acknowledgment at James, he walked away from the bar and left the pub, his stride as confident as ever as he flipped his hair off his face in what was an admittedly attractive way.

"What a pompous arse."

Ella did her best not to snigger at James' sour comment. She liked Eddie well enough and fancied him a good match for her friend, but part of her had to admit that James had a point.

"I knew this was a bad idea," James continued, and Ella turned to face him with a question in her eye. "This friendship," he clarified. "And at first, I thought it would be bad for you, but maybe it's worse for Helen."

Ella felt her face flush with a mixture of anger and humiliation and hurt. She looked away from him, pausing only to grab another tray of dirty dishes before shoving past him and storming into the kitchen.

"Maybe you've been well meaning because you always think you know what's best," James continued as he followed her. "But you're only setting Helen up for disappointment and heartbreak. Especially if you think someone like Eddie Finnigan will ever give her the time of day."

Ella dropped the tray onto the counter by the sink with a crash before whirling around to face him.

"What?"

"You heard me. Eddie's not the worst sort of bloke, but you know who he's dated in the past. He'll want to gain something from the relationship. Unlike what you assume, he's the type of bloke who won't settle for some girl that just giggles and looks at him with those big eyes that dote on him."

"I can't believe you're being this judgmental," Ella snarled at him. "Helen is so much more than that, and you'd realize it if you actually took the chance to get to know her."

"Trust me, I have," he insisted. "And she's lovely. But for Eddie? No way in hell. She should have said yes to Lorcan, and you should have let her."

"I doubt we'll ever agree on this, so I don't see the point in continuing," Ella said forcefull. With a huff, she turned and waved her wand, watching as the new batch of dirty dishes started to wash themselves, although slightly more roughly than the last one. James remained silent, but she knew he was still there, and as her mind continued to whirl around their argument, she found she couldn't let it go. Not yet.

"And as far as me _letting_ her say yes goes," she rushed out as she turned to face a still very unhappy looking James, "that's completely beside the point. She made her decision and she has to stick with it."

James let out a sigh, rubbing a hand over his face as his stiff posture relaxed just a bit, but Ella knew he wasn't ready to let it go.

"Look," she said as she moved to stand right in front of him. "I'm not going to pretend that I have any outrageous amount of influence. Maybe just a bit. But even if she _had_ cared for him at one point, she certainly doesn't now, so this whole argument is pointless."

"No," James insisted. "Pointless is trying to believe that you actually did this for your friend rather than yourself."

Ella flinched at his words, which stung more than she wanted to admit. "That's not fair."

"Tell that to Lorcan," James insisted, refusing to back down. Ella let out an indignant huff and glanced towards the clock on the wall.

"The dinner rush should be starting soon. I wonder where Sally ran off to."

She moved to walk past James, but he stopped her, his hand landing on her arm and gripping it slightly. Ella looked up at him with a challenge in her eyes. James looked resigned, but there was something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. Not when he looked at her.

"I suppose it's not the worst loss in the word," he said simply. "For Lorcan, anyway. Hopefully he can get over her quickly and the heartbreak isn't lasting."

Ella sighed in relief, thankful that he was finally letting this go.

"But I know you too well to think that you have as little to do with this as you insist. You've said yourself how much you love matchmaking."

Something clicked in Ella's mind, and a surprised smile crossed her face, causing James to look at her in confusion. "You're so upset about this because you gave Lorcan advice, and I gave advice to Helen, and my advice is what won out. You're just too proud to admit you were wrong, is that it?"

James released his grip on her arm and took a deep breath as if to calm himself before turning and storming out of the kitchen. Ella watched him walk away in frustrated confusion, throwing her arms up helplessly as she did nothing to stop him. Instead, she turned and faced the sink where the dishes were still dutifully cleaning themselves, her hands gripping the edge of it as she let out a groan of frustration. She only had a moment to herself before she heard the door swing open once again. She let out a sigh of relief as she turned to face James.

"Thank Merlin. I don't think we've ever left things unresolved, and I don't think I could bear it if I thought-"

"Ella, I've already warned you about Finnigan, so I won't repeat that," he cut her off, his expression cold, yet still somehow caring, "but all of this meddling? No matter what your intentions might have been, people - Lorcan and Helen - they're full of just as many hopes and dreams as you are. As _I_ am. And that shouldn't be taken lightly. Helen is your friend, and in case you've forgotten, Lorcan is supposed to be too. So you should act like it. And friends don't manipulate the lives of the people they care about based on some silly whims or delusional dreams. One of these days, you're going to regret your meddling. I just hope no one else gets hurt in the meantime."

As she watched him turn and walk away for what she knew was for good this time, Ella felt her stomach drop and her eyes well with tears, and she realized what the emotion was that she'd seen in James' eyes when he'd looked at her.

Disappointment.

* * *

 **A/N: This was one of my favorite chapters to write, so I hope you enjoyed reading it! Thoughts on the argument? Was Ella right at all? Was James too harsh? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for your reviews and follows so far. Keep them coming! We get to see some more Potters next chapter and the return of some siblings, so stay tuned!**


	5. The Smallest Potter

James had been staying at his home out near Tutshill, and Ella had barely glimpsed him in weeks. She was left with a feeling of regret after their argument, though not really about the choice she'd made to influence Helen's decision. It was the fact that her actions had caused a rift to form between her and James that she regretted most.

She missed his constant presence more than she thought she would, but her pride wouldn't let her make an effort to make amends. Not just yet. She might have been stubborn and proud, but he'd said some things that hurt as well. As far as she was concerned, she didn't necessarily owe it to him to be the first to reach out. So she was practicing patience.

Along with James' noted absence was the almost constant presence of Eddie Finnigan. He'd returned with the sketch, framed beautifully. It now hung in the sitting room of the flat that Ella shared with her father and great-grandmother, due to Eddie's insistence that it be displayed for all to see. Helen had blushed at this but allowed it to happen. Ella had been forced to stifle a chuckle when her father had watched on in confused incredulity while the young man assisted in hanging a drawing of his daughter's friend on his wall.

"He's a little over eager, isn't he?" Neville had whispered to his daughter as Eddie talked to Helen about how her own drawings were coming along.

"It's young love, Dad," Ella had said with a small smile. "It's always a bit ridiculous."

Neville had just shaken his head before disappearing into his study.

By the time the beginning of December rolled around, Ella still hadn't seen James, and Eddie was still always around. Ella was doing her best not to think about her absent friend as she worked on some budgeting for the inn, Anne providing her with company and the occasional word of advice. She'd been a bit down lately, seeing as Scorpius had once again failed to come visit his father in November, and the likelihood that they'd see him at Christmas was become smaller.

"You should still do a Christmas party, though," Ella said with forced cheerfulness. "It'll distract you, and it'll be good fun as well."

"You're right," Anne said with a small smile. "Would you help me plan it?"

Ella eagerly agreed, and they set aside any inn business to begin making plans.

"Don't make any plans for the weekend before Christmas," Ella said brightly as she and Anne came down from her flat an hour later. Cassie, Helen, Eddie, and Hugo looked at her in question from their positions around the bar.

"Anne and Draco are going to be throwing a brilliant party," she announced, throwing her arm around her friend's shoulder, "which I will be helping with and you are all invited to."

There was a general chorus of excitement and agreement as they began to discuss the party.

"I love Christmas," Helen gushed as Ella joined her behind the bar. "Especially at Hogwarts. All the treats and the lights and decorations."

"And the food," Cassie said with a far off look in her eyes before she wandered off to see to a customer. Anne bid them goodbye with a promise to send them all invitations soon.

"I always enjoyed Valentine's day at Hogwarts," Eddie commented as Ella refilled his choice of wine.

"Seriously?" Ella asked with a raised eyebrow. "All of the pink and the hearts and the pressure to pair off with someone?"

"Not a romantic, then?" he asked with a smirk as he raised his glass to his lips.

"When it's other people's love lives, yes. Mine? Not so much. Never been one for much romance."

"Miss Ella insists that she'll never marry," Helen said almost conspiratorially to Eddie, and he chuckled with her before giving Ella a challenging look.

"Did no boys ever send you valentines? Is that why you're bitter?"

"On the contrary," Ella said with a smirk, "I got plenty."

"She's not lying, either," Hugo chimed in, standing and putting his coat back on as he made to head back to work after his lunch break. "You were probably the most popular girl who didn't date in your year. Drove the blokes mad."

"I was never a big fan of love poems anyway," she said to Eddie with a proud smirk.

"Then you've never heard any good ones," he countered.

"Oh bloody hell," Hugo said with a roll of his eyes. "That's my cue to leave."

He waved them farewell and left the pub, smirking at Ella as he did so. While Hugo didn't seem too bothered by Eddie's obvious interest in Helen, he'd never been fond of romance. Much like Ella. He'd remained single most of his life, only surpassed by James and Rose in his lack of dating history as far as his family went. The whole family was convinced that he was still holding a candle for the one girl he'd dated in Hogwarts, who'd moved to the states to play Quidditch and ended things due to the distance. Call her a romantic, but it was Ella's dearest wish for her friend that he would be one day reunited with the girl his entire family knew he still cared for deeply.

"Do you know any love poems?" Helen asked Eddie eagerly. He smiled before lifting his glass and looking at it in contemplation.

"' _Wine comes in at the mouth, and love comes in at the eye; that's all we shall know for truth before we grow old and die. I lift the glass to mouth, I look to you, and I sigh.'_ "

He raised his glass slightly higher at the last sentence, and then locked his eyes on Ella. She cocked her brow at him, not rising to his challenge to swoon.

"That's so lovely," Helen gushed, and Eddie's attention was drawn back to her with a smile. "Do you know any more?"

He continued to recite more poetry, this time focused on an attentive Helen, though occasionally throwing Ella glances and grins. Ella watched them both in amusement, thankful that she hadn't been wrong. They got along splendidly. And she hoped that if Eddie didn't ask Helen to go to the Malfoy's party with him, he'd at least make some sort of move that evening. She was a bit surprised that he had yet to do so, but he had suffered from a bit of a broken heart after ending his relationship with Penelope Jenkins. He probably just didn't want to be as careless with his heart this time.

He left a few moments later, saying he'd already spent too much time allowing himself to be distracted by their so called charming company and needed to get back to work. Ella immediately turned to Helen in giddy delight as soon as he was out the door.

"I think that was the most blatantly obvious he's been so far," she said with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows. Helen let out a giggle and blushed, ducking her head shyly.

"He's so romantic, isn't he?" Helen said giddily. "All of those poems? It's impressive that he had them all memorized."

"And he seemed so eager to talk about all things related to love," said Ella. "I can't wait till Christmas. He's sure to say something by then, and the holidays are one of the most romantic times of the year. Perfect opportunity for him to make his move."

Helen just blushed again before being called away to wait on a customer. Watching the romance play out between her friend and Eddie Finnigan was only one of the reasons Ella was anxious for Christmas to come. It also meant that Sarah and Al would be coming home, little Henry and baby Eleanor in tow. She hadn't seen them since the spring, since Sarah had been too pregnant to travel.

There was also the fact that Al's presence in town meant the reappearance of James. And as nervous as Ella was to face him again, she didn't know if she could wait much longer either.

* * *

"Where's my granddaughter?"

Everyone laughed as Neville made no other greeting upon his entrance into the Potters' home the day that Al and Sarah arrived in England for the holidays. Sarah rushed up to her father and engulfed him in a hug, ignoring his immediate request for the newest addition to the family. Ella did her best not to cry as she watched her sister hold on tightly to their father before releasing him and planting a kiss on his cheek. Ella found herself pulled into a similar embrace a moment later, and she let out a sigh of relief to be held by her sister again.

"I missed you," Sarah mumbled into her ear, and Ella could tell that she wasn't the only one holding back tears.

"I missed you as well," Ella said, pulling back to look at her sister, drinking in her familiar round face and warm brown eyes.

"I like the haircut," Ella commented, reaching up to brush aside her sister's brown locks, usually worn long and wavy but now only barely reaching her shoulders and styled straight.

"Thanks," Sarah said with a chuckle, reaching up to run her hand through her hair. "It's easier this way. Henry enjoys playing with sticky things at the moment so this keeps it all from sticking to me."

Ella laughed and embraced her sister once more. They separated in time to see Harry handing his granddaughter over to an awestruck Neville, whose grandmother was standing at his elbow and instructing him on how to properly hold an infant. Ella wanted nothing more than to rush to her father's side and get a first glimpse at her niece, but she held herself back. He could have his moment with Eleanor and she could have hers later. Instead, her eyes drifted to the other people present in the room. Al was holding Henry, who was passed out in his father's arms. Ella gave a quick intake of breath at the sweet sight before rushing over to them.

"I feel like he doubles in size every time I see him," Ella commented as she gave Al a one armed hug, careful not to wake her sleeping nephew. Her brother-in-law grinned at her.

"He wasn't even two then, yeah? I think being a big brother has gone to his head. Feels like he's aged a year in the past few months."

Ella grinned and leaned in to kiss the dark head of her sleeping nephew.

"He's looking more like you everyday," Ella told Al fondly.

"Poor kid," a voice said from somewhere behind Al, and Ella laughed as Lily came over to hug her in greeting.

"How're things in Devon?" Ella asked. Lily was currently living out at the Burrow with her aging grandparents. She was a writer and currently working on her second novel, and the Burrow was always her favorite place to get away to in order to focus.

"Things are going," Lily responded with a sigh. "Granddad is driving me mad. He's been tinkering in his shed, and his newest obsession is these Muggle boombox things Freddie's been working with. He and my grandmother aren't as bothered by the noise, but I'm about to go spare."

Ella gave a sympathetic chuckle. "Well, if you ever need an escape, I always have a room for you. And I know Cassie would love to have her best friend around again."

Lily gave her a grateful smile, ensuring Ella that she might just take her up on the offer soon as Ginny came in and greeted Ella with a hug of her own.

"Have you met your beautiful niece yet?" Ginny asked with a glance towards Neville and her husband. Sarah was standing next to her father and stroking what looked like a small tuft of blonde hair on the baby's head. She was wrapped up in a dark red blanket, and Ella could see a tiny hand gripping her father's finger. Ella barely heard Ginny scolding Neville for hogging the baby before he was hurrying over to Ella and placing the infant into her arms. And this time, Ella let herself cry.

"She's beautiful," she gushed, not caring that a tear was threatening to drip down her nose as she gazed at her beautiful niece. She did have blonde hair, and her eyes appeared to be bright blue, but she was having a hard time keeping them open as she let out a gurgle in her aunt's arms. "She looks like Mum."

"She looks like you," Sarah said, and Ella looked up at her sister with a brilliant smile.

"Poor kid."

Ella's head immediately spun around at the familiar sound of James' voice. Ginny did her duty as a mother and scolded him for saying something so rude, but Ella didn't care. At least he was here. At least he was acknowledging her presence, and at least he didn't appear to be angry with her anymore. He even gave her a small smile.

They were all ushered into the dining room with the promise of dinner, and things progressed like normal whenever there was a Potter-Longbottom get together. Their families had always gotten on remarkably, even before there was anything more than friendship between Al and Sarah, and tonight was no exception. While Ella's great-gran was content to just sit and listen, Harry regaled them with tales of the Auror department, and Neville told funny anecdotes about his students. Al and Sarah shared stories from Cairo and what it was like being the parents of two instead of one, while Lily divulged more information about what it was like to be living with her grandparents, much to the amusement of everyone else.

James talked about Quidditch and how the season was going, something that Ella had almost subconsciously kept up with during his absence from her life. She knew he'd been playing well. His team had a shot at the finals, and James could be having the best season of his career, which Ginny was able to confirm seeing as she reported on Quidditch for the Daily Prophet. And then it was Ella's turn to talk about life at the inn, which was the same as ever, as far as she was willing to share.

The best part of the evening came after pudding. Henry had long ago been put to bed, but Eleanor was still being passed around her family members as she slept soundly. Ella was lucky enough to get a chance to hold her while her sister and father spent some time together cleaning things up in the kitchen and the Potters enjoyed a family game of Exploding Snaps in front of the fire. Ella stood from her seat on the couch next to her sleeping great-gran and wandered away from the slightly rambunctious Potters to Harry's study, which had always been one of her favorite rooms in the house. The walls were lined with books, and the most comfortable couch in the house sat in front of a window that looked out onto a field where the Potters and Weasleys had played Quidditch on a regular basis in their younger years.

Ella sunk into the familiar couch that she frequented when she was just a little girl and much too young to join the older siblings in their games, watching from a distance instead and sometimes accompanied by Lorcan and Lysander. Remembering those days now just made her realize how long it had been and how much had changed. But those were all mostly happy memories. There were the occasional moments that were tinted with grief due to the absence of her mother, but her childhood had wanted for nothing else. And she still had all the same things she had then, even if her sister was miles away most of the time. She was going to soak up all the moments with Sarah and her family that she could get.

"I think she likes you."

Ella looked up at the familiar sound of James' voice once again, her expression hesitant as he stood in the doorway and observed her holding their niece.

"If only I could say the same for you," she said as lightheartedly as she could. James released a sigh, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans before moving fully into the room.

"I don't hate you, if that's what you're hinting at," he said, looking at her pointedly. "Don't go thinking you can get rid of me that easily."

"Shame," she said with a cheeky smirk, and relief bubbled up in her when James gave an amused chuckle.

"You know," he said slowly, moving to sit next to her and looking down at his niece. "You'd never have to worry about scaring me off if you weren't so flippant with other people's lives."

Ella glared at him, but he wore an amused expression.

"You're taking advantage of the fact that I'm helpless to respond as aggressively as I'd like to, aren't you?"

James grinned at her, reaching out to gently stroke Eleanor's head. "Perhaps."

Ella sighed, her gaze returning to the small bundle in her arms.

"Am I always wrong in your eyes?" she asked quietly. James shifted next to her with a sigh, his arm going behind her on the couch so he could better give attentions to his niece.

"Well, you have to admit," he spoke in a quiet voice, "I do have a few years experience on you. I was three times the age of Henry when you were this small."

Ella held back a chuckle, her mind immediately conjuring an image of James when he was six. She'd seen pictures of him holding her as a baby, and she warmed at the thought that he'd always been there for her, just like he was now.

"And I'm sure you were much wiser than me at the time," she said with a grin, "but we've both grown since then," Ella pointed out. "You don't have quite as much of an advantage over me as you did then, don't you think? The gap has closed a bit."

"Maybe," he said with a sigh. "Though I was never a pretty little girl that was doted on, so you have the disadvantage of being a bit spoiled as well."

"You're lucky I can't smack you," she murmured, and James simply gave an amused chuckle. Ella relaxed a bit into the couch as his hand came down to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"You know I say it in love," he reminded her. "And I don't want to quarrel about this anymore. Even if I still think I was right about a lot of it, I know I was harsh, so I'm sorry. Can we agree to put it behind us?"

Ella nodded, pulling her eyes away from her niece and looking up at him with a small smile. He pulled his arm away and seamlessly accepted Eleanor from Ella's arms. She watched on with a smile.

"I think we can," Ella allowed. "And I'm sorry too. I know I can be stubborn and it doesn't always come across well. Best thing we can do now is start setting a good example for our niece, right? Teach her not to be so selfish and to be far cleverer than me."

James smirked as he kept his eyes on a still sound asleep Eleanor. "We can try."

They sat there in silence for a few moments before Ella decided to voice the thought that had been in the back of her mind for almost a month now. Since the last time she'd spoken with James.

"I think we can both agree, though, that we were both a bit right. We both had good intentions, at least."

James looked up at her questioningly, and she continued.

"We both wanted our friends to be happy. I'm not going to pretend that I'm sorry Helen took any advice I might have given her, but I hope he wasn't too devastated by her rejection."

James let out a sigh, his eyes holding sorrow as they locked on Ella's.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I saw him the morning he left. I think devastated might be too small a word."

He gave Ella a small, sorrowful smile, and his gaze went back to Eleanor. Ella did her best to not let this news cause her pain. She'd known Lorcan her whole life, so of course she wanted him to be happy. It grieved her to know that she might have played any role in his heartbreak, but no matter what James or anyone else might say, she was still convinced that it had all worked out for the best.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay for making up! Even though Ella is still being stubborn. Also, James with a baby. *swoon* Coming up next we have the Christmas party and if you're familiar with this story, you know what that means :) If you follow, please review! I'd love to hear what you're enjoying about this story so far.**


	6. The Arrogant Salesman

As it grew closer to Christmas, Ella settled into a place of contentment and joy. She was surrounded by family, the inn was doing well, and things had been worked out between herself and James. Not to mentioned she loved the holiday. It filled her with warmth despite the continued presence of cold weather.

The only negative currently in her life was the ill health of her friend.

"Maybe you'll be better this evening," Ella said hopefully from her seat next to Helen's bedside. The girl's response was to cringe in pain when she tried to adjust her position.

"They say it needs twenty-four hours to heal," Helen said with a grimace.

"What about the pain?"

"The potion I took for that should kick in soon. And it'll make me too drowsy and disoriented to be of much use."

Ella couldn't help feeling slightly guilty about her friend's current predicament. Helen had been standing on a stool and fixing the star on top of one of their many trees right inside the front door of the pub as they were opening, when someone had barged in and rammed into her. She'd toppled over, landing so she broken her wrist and severely bruised her ribs.

"It's really not your fault," Helen had assured her. "Just because you asked me to do it doesn't mean you were responsible for the idiot who stumbled into me. And I was the one who decided not to use magic to do it."

Ella gave Helen a small smile, thankful that the girl was at least in good spirits, even if her plans for the evening had been ruined.

"Poor Eddie won't know what to do with himself tonight," Ella commented, and Helen gave the all too familiar blush that went along with any mention of her supposed suitor, accompanied by a look filled with disappointment.

"At least we weren't really going together," Helen said. "That way I don't have to disappoint him _too_ much."

Ella had tried not to let herself grow frustrated with the continued slow pace of Eddie Finnigan. He'd still been spending an exorbitant amount of time around the pub, even on some occasions when Helen wasn't around, but nothing concrete had been said or done. Ella had even made sure to give him ample opportunities to make his intentions known to Helen, leaving them on their own whenever the chance to do so presented itself, but he had yet to make his move.

Leaving Helen to the capable hands of her Healers, Ella left St. Mungo's with a promise to come see her and help her home the following day. And she'd also be able to fill her in on the events of the party.

"How is she?" Al asked when Ella reached the street. He'd been at the pub that morning with Henry, who always loved visiting his Aunt Ella there, and had helped Ella get Helen to the hospital. He'd waited outside with a rather rambunctious Henry, who was now making faces at the manikins in the supposedly abandoned department store window.

"She'll be alright, just not before tonight," Ella said sadly. They began walking down the street and back towards the inn. Henry ran up to Ella and grabbed her hand after she called out to him. They were only walking for a few minutes before Ella caught sight of a familiar face and strut heading their way.

"Eddie!" she called out to grab his attention, but he'd already seen her and was walking towards them with a grin on his face.

"Did you hear about Helen?" asked Ella. "Are you on your way to see her?"

"I heard, yes," Eddie confirmed, coming to a stop in front of them and shaking Al's hand in greeting. "I was just at the pub, but I'm heading this way on business, actually. How is she?"

"Miserable," Ella gushed, ignoring Al's curious gaze. "She's so devastated that she can't make it to the party tonight."

"That's such a shame," said Eddie, and he shook his head sorrowfully.

"Of course, it'll probably be hard to focus on having any fun, knowing that poor Helen is laid up in the hospital," Ella said, knowing she probably wasn't being all that subtle with the pointed look she was giving him.

"You don't mean you're thinking of not going?" Eddie said in disbelief. "It definitely won't be worth going to if you're not there. What a dull party that would be."

He was smiling charmingly at her, and Ella couldn't help but smile back at him in confusion before responding.

"No, I'm still going. I was just-"

"Brilliant!" he cut her off. "I'll see you all tonight, shall I? I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it."

He gave a wave in farewell before moving past them and down the sidewalk. Ella watched him walk away in shock before Henry tugged on her hand and they began walking back towards the inn once again. Something didn't sit right with her about the encounter, but she was pulled out of her confusing thoughts by Al letting out an amused snort.

"What's so funny?" she asked in annoyance.

"Nothing," he said innocently. "Just never figured you'd go after someone like Eddie Finnigan."

Ella stopped abruptly in her tracks, looking up at her brother-in-law in disbelief.

"Me? Going after Eddie Finnigan? That's mad."

"Come on," Al said with a scoff. "You practically lit up like a Christmas tree when you saw him, to say nothing about how obvious it is that he's quite taken with you."

Ella's eyes widened in shock, momentarily at a loss for words thanks to Al's ludicrous assessment of the situation.

"I merely got excited because I thought he was on his way to visit Helen, who he _actually_ has feelings for," she explained. "Not me."

Al looked at her skeptically as Henry held both of their hands and attempted to swing himself between them.

"If you say so," he said, and Ella tried to ignore the slight feeling of apprehension that had settled in her gut.

* * *

Al, Sarah, and James met up with Ella and her father at the Leaky Cauldron so they could walk to the Emerald Inn together. Neville was looking suspiciously out the window at the darkening skies as Ella fastened her coat.

"I think it's going to snow," Ella's father grumbled.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Sarah assured him.

"Why can't we Floo or Apparate?" Al asked grumpily as Sarah fixed his tie.

"Because with all the other people coming in from out of town, they don't need us clogging things up," said James. "And it's a little lazy and silly to do so for somewhere that's only a few blocks away,"

"What's silly is that you're dressed like _that_ ," Ella snapped at him. James raised his brow at her in surprise. While everyone else was dressed for a semi-formal evening, James had opted for dark jeans, a sport coat, and a button up shirt.

"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?" James asked as he gave himself a once over. Ella let out a huff and stepped closer to him, speaking in an undertone.

"You're significantly underdressed. Have you noticed what my father and your brother are wearing? I'm embarrassed to show up with you tonight."

"Am I not enough of a gentleman for you?" he asked a bit mockingly.

"No, you're not."

"Are we ready?" Sarah asked, and Ella gave James one last scowl as he smirked at her and fastened his coat.

"You've got things here?" Ella hollered over to Matt. He nodded from his position behind the bar, his chin resting in his hand as he leaned on the wooden surface. Ella held back an amused smile at his despondent attitude. While most probably thought he was disappointed that he wasn't attending the party, Ella knew the true reason for his moping was because Lily hadn't accompanied her brothers to the Leaky Cauldron, having opted to arrive at the Emerald Inn with her parents instead.

"He's got it bad, doesn't he?" said James, who'd observed the same thing as Ella.

"I feel a bit sorry for him, honestly," said Ella. "If he thinks she'll ever change her mind when it's been three years of him constantly trying to get her to notice him, he's mad."

James chuckled and shook his head in amusement. It was then that Ella realized she was meant to be shunning him for his lack of social adeptness. The glint in his eye told her he knew he'd been successful in distracting her, and she gave a huff of annoyance before stomping quickly away from him.

They headed out into the cold evening, Ella choosing to walk with Al instead while James walked in front of them, Sarah and her father leading the way. They'd only gone half a block when Ella heard someone calling out her name, causing her and Al to stop and turn around.

"This is a happy coincidence," said Eddie Finnigan as he quickly caught up with them. He was dressed smartly, his hair styled to perfection and grinning from ear to ear. "Shall we continue on together?"

He fell in step beside Ella, and the three of them walked side-by-side the rest of the way to the inn, Eddie going on about how excited he was and what a splendid time they were going to have.

"I feel bad for Helen, though," Ella said when he finally gave her room to talk.

"Oh, yes, such a shame. Don't you just love this time of year? There's something so romantic about the holidays, don't you think?"

Ella was only able to offer a vague smile and nod before he continued to ramble on about what the party could possibly be like. She refrained from looking at Al, knowing that he probably had a smirk on his face.

They were some of the first guests to arrive, and Ella felt a smile take over her face as she absorbed the wonderful walked through the front lobby and into the great room where the party was being held. The interior of the inn was classic and almost Greecian in nature. There were white walls with large windows and pillars around the room. The floor was a mahogany wood and there were beautiful floral rugs spread about. Garland and wreaths hung along the walls, but what really caught Ella's eye was the large Christmas tree that stood at the far end of the room, lit up beautifully with white lights and red and gold ornaments adorning it. French doors stood open on either side of it and led onto a back patio. Instrumental Christmas music was playing from an unknown source, and a large roaring fire stood on the far left with a few places to sit nearby, while tables of food lined the opposite wall.

"This is remarkable," Eddie said as he came in behind Ella. She nodded as her eyes continued to scan the room, beginning to unfasten her coat. Ella jumped a bit in surprise when she felt someone helping her pull it off her shoulders, and she looked back to see Eddie smiling down at her.

"Thank you," she said quickly, ignoring the pointed look Al sent her way as he moved past her and into the room. Ella quickly followed after him, losing Eddie as he moved back into the lobby to hang up both of their coats. A smile overtook her face when she spotted their hosts for the evening.

"It looks fantastic, Anne," she gushed as they met in the center of the room. "And so do you."

The new Mrs. Malfoy was dressed in a dark green dress that fell slightly off her shoulders, dipped into a V, and flared at the waist.

" _You_ look fantastic," Anne countered. Ella let out a laugh and gave a twirl, her midnight blue dress swirling around her knees. It was sleeveless with a high neckline that covered her collarbone and hung straight down. She and Helen had gone shopping for dresses together, and it made her momentarily sad to think that her friend would not be able to enjoy the new addition to her wardrobe.

"Thank you so much for your help," Draco said, leaning forward to give Ella a kiss on the cheek. "The menu is perfect. And make sure you try the wine. Brought it out especially for the occasion."

"I most definitely shall," Ella assured him. "Such a shame that your son wasn't able to make it."

Draco let out a sigh and gave her a sad smile. Anne slid her hand into his and gripped it tightly, and Draco gave her a grateful look.

"We really wish he would've been able to," Draco said. "In fact, I had a letter from him just the other day that-"

"Here you are, Ella."

Ella turned to find Eddie Finnigan standing behind her with two glasses of wine in his hands. Momentarily taken about, Ella smiled at him before accepting the glass and turning back to her conversation. She gave Draco an apologetic grimace, which he acknowledged with a nod and a small smile before continuing.

"Scorpius wrote just the other day, saying he'd made it all the way to the Portkey office when a note arrived from his uncle that his aunt had fallen ill once again, and that she requested he return home."

Ella shook her head in disappointment. "The poor thing," she said, "having to constantly be at her beck and call, when we all know how much he longs to come and see you."

The corners of Draco's mouth turned up in a grateful smile as Ella felt a hand on her elbow. She turned in surprise to see that Eddie was still standing just behind her, his expression hopeful and anxious.

"Can I get you anything else?" he asked eagerly. "Perhaps some food? There's some wonderful looking cakes over there."

"No, Eddie, thank you," said Ella with as much patience as she could muster, noting Cassie over his shoulder wandering somewhat aimlessly about the room. "But perhaps you could grab a drink for Cassie?"

She gestured towards the girl, who's curly blonde hair that Ella had always been envious of was down, rather than pulled into a ponytail like she usually wore it. Eddie followed her gaze, watching Cassie in contemplation for a moment before he nodded, turning back to Ella before he left her side.

"I'll find you later?"

The look in his eyes and the way his hand was still on her elbow was something that Ella refused to acknowledge meant anything other than friendship, and she knew of no other way to respond than to nod. He gave her his most charming smile before strolling over to Cassie, and Ella let out a sigh before turning back to Anne and Draco, the former of which was looking at her questioningly, a slight smirk on her face.

"He probably just doesn't know what to do with himself," Ella reasoned, "seeing as Helen isn't here."

Anne gave what seemed to be an indulgent nod as Sarah approached them, kissing Draco on the cheek in greeting before hugging Anne.

"How're the kids?" Anne asked, but Ella didn't pay close enough attention to really register her sister's response. Eddie and Cassie had walked over towards the drink table and were now in her line of sight. Ella felt slightly bad that she'd set Eddie on Cassie, as she knew Cassie wasn't his biggest fan, but the way he'd been behaving had unnerved her. And even as he stood next to a thoroughly bored looking Cassie, his eyes moved to her.

Ella felt a chill run through her as he stared at her, a hint of a smile on his face that she no longer found to be charming. It unsettled her, and she found herself trying not to panic as she quickly tore her gaze from his, making her excuses to Anne and Draco and her sister before walking off towards the doors that led to the outside patio.

More people had arrived by now, and she passed by friends that she normally would have stopped to talk to, but was currently too distressed to be able to hold a pleasant conversation with. She settled for sending a few waves and smiles peoples way as she made her way past the giant Christmas tree and through the double French doors that led onto the patio.

She'd seen it before, since she'd stopped by to help Anne plan the evening and figure out how she wanted to decorate, but the finished product took her breath away.

There was a railing that ran along the edge of the flagstone patio, still freshly white and beautifully reflecting the lights that hung along it. There was gold ribbon tied into bows at each post along the railing, and the whole thing gave off a very white picket fence feel. There were also a few smaller trees out there, spaced along the rail, with a few up against the side of the inn as well.

Ella walked out towards the railing, noting that no one else had wandered outside yet, which made sense as the party had only just started. She was thankful that a warming charm had been placed on the patio, and it seemed that some sort of repelling spell had been cast to keep the snow from falling above her, as it had now begun to do so just beyond the railing.

She found herself forgetting about any of the troubles that were currently plaguing her as she came to a stop at the railing, feeling a bit of a chill as she reached the end of the warming charm and stretched out her hand to catch a few snowflakes on her fingers. Ella had always loved the snow. One of the few memories she had of her mother was of her and Sarah playing with her in the streets of Diagon Alley the winter before she died. That year, the snow had fallen so thickly, that it was almost impossible to get anywhere. Charms were used to clear it, but it kept falling, and Ella and Sarah and their mother had taken advantage of the near empty streets, enjoying themselves immensely despite the cold.

Ella was abruptly pulled from her memories by the sound of someone walking across the flagstone patio, and she sighed in relief when she looked over her shoulder to see Al making his way towards her.

"You alright?" he asked, coming to a stop beside her. "Sarah said you sort of abruptly walked away."

"Just needed some fresh air," she explained, taking a sip of her wine. "Didn't feel well for a moment, but I'll be fine."

Al nodded, not pressing the issue further. That's what she appreciated about her brother-in-law. He wasn't pushy when it came to her, unlike James. Not that she didn't appreciate James and the type of friendship they had. She probably needed someone in her life to push her like he did. But it was nice to know that Al cared enough to ask questions, but also knew when to leave well enough alone.

They only had a few moments to stand together in companionable silence before the sound of someone else approaching them reached Ella's ears, and she knew she wouldn't be so lucky this time.

"I brought you a refill," said Eddie as he came to stand at her other side, two glasses of wine in his hands.

"I'm alright, thanks," she said with a forced smile. Eddie nodded as Ella sipped her wine, and he mimicked her movements, the three of them standing in an uncomfortable silence.

"It's a shame Helen couldn't be here," said Ella, breaking the silence and making a last ditch effort to prove to herself and Albus that she wasn't wrong about Eddie Finnigan. But Eddie merely nodded, a sympathetic smile on his face as his eyes stayed glued to her face.

"I should go find Sarah," said Al after another uncomfortable beat of silence. He turned to head back inside, and Ella found herself gripping his arm, her eyes boring into his.

"She's probably still talking to Anne," Ella said with a forced smile.

"Then I really should find her, seeing as I've yet to have much of a chance to talk to our hosts for the evening," he said stubbornly. Ella scowled at her brother-in-law, who smirked as he walked back into the inn, leaving her alone with Eddie Finnigan.

Ella kept her gaze fixed ahead, staring up at the falling snow and glimpsing a few stars that managed to peek through the clouds she couldn't see.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" said Eddie, and Ella's gaze flickered sideways for a moment to see he was also looking up at the stars. But then his gaze turned back to her, and Ella's eyes snapped towards the sky as she gave a noncommittal hum of response.

"Not as beautiful as you, though," he said, and Ella felt her face flush in spite of herself at his words. He was facing her, having set the glasses of wine on the railing in front of him, but she kept her gaze towards the sky.

"I was thinking about going to visit Helen again before heading home tonight," she said, growing increasingly unsettled as he moved closer to her.

"Will you please stop talking about Helen while I'm trying to tell you how I feel?" he said, sounding a bit exasperated.

"How you feel?" she repeated, her tone incredulous as her gaze finally shifted to meet his.

"About you," he clarified, his smile that most women would find disarming making Ella's blood run cold. "I adore you, Ella."

"What?" she nearly shouted, taking a step back, her voice coming out almost as a disbelieving laugh as the reality of what was happening started to fully hit her. "But you fancy Helen!"

"Helen?" he said, the word laced with something close to disgust as he looked at her incredulously. "Why would I fancy Helen?"

"Because you've done nothing but try to woo her for months!" said Ella, doing her best not to raise her voice as everything started to crumble around her.

"You're barking!" he said, laughing at how ridiculous the notion appeared to be. "How could you ever think that?"

"Because you started coming around more once she started working at the inn," she argued. "Because you couldn't contain your excitement when I suggested sketching her, not to mention how much you hovered when I actually drew her. And you even quoted love poems for her! That's to say nothing of your overall behavior since October."

"My overall behavior," he began, taking a step closer to her, "has been to do my best to win your affection, not Helen's. If I ever showed her any attention, it's because I knew you'd appreciate it since she's your friend. I started coming around more once _you_ started suggesting that I should. I complimented _your_ artistic abilities and the drawing that _you_ put so much effort and talent into. And there's no way you couldn't have noticed the way I was looking at you when I said all those things about love. Everything," he said emphatically, reaching out and gripping her arm, "that I've done over the past few months has been to show how completely and hopelessly I'm falling for _you._ "

Ella was speechless. Could she really have been so blind? So arrogant? So careless?

"But, Helen-"

"Helen's an alright girl," he said with a roll of his eyes. "But next to you? Who would ever notice someone as simple as her?"

Anger flashed through Ella, and she roughly tore his hand off her arm, but he wasn't to be deterred as he reached out and grabbed her hand. Her wine glass was still gripped tightly in her other one, and she was shaking with a mix of shame and regret and indignation as he looked at her imploringly.

"I want to be with you, Ella. You can't say you don't want the same thing."

"I certainly can," she said, trying to tug her hand from his grasp, but he held on tightly. "Let go of me."

"No," he said, causing Ella to look at him in alarm. "Not until you tell me why."

"Why what? Why I don't want to be with you? Maybe it's because you're an arrogant arse whose character I clearly misjudged before now."

"Because I know I deserve someone better than your friend?" he said with derision. "You can't really think she's good enough for me. Not after the way I've seen you talk down to her. You know as well as I do that she's not worth my time."

Rage boiled inside of Ella. At Eddie Finnigan, and at herself. Before she could fully think it through, she'd wrenched her hand out of his grasp and tossed the remainder of Draco's carefully selected wine in his face. She barely spared a moment to take in his spluttering before turning and marching back into the inn, the room now filled with people who were eating and drinking and enjoying pleasant conversation, having a much better evening than Ella.

She began wandering through the crowd, unsure of what her aim was until she caught sight of James walking towards her, a look of concern on his face.

"You're white as a ghost," he said, his hand going to her arm. Ella felt herself relax at his touch, which was much more welcome than any other one she'd received throughout the course of the evening. "Are you alright? Can I get you anything?"

She shook her head.

"No you're not alright? Or no you don't need anything?" he asked, stepping closer and lowering his voice, his tone concerned. Ella released a shaky sigh before giving him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"I'm alright, and I don't need anything," she said, setting her empty glass on a passing tray and doing her best to keep her hand from shaking.

"Are you cold?" he asked, obviously noting her unease. He only gave her enough time to shake her head uncertainly before he was pulling off his jacket and placing it over her bare shoulders.

"I think they have some hot cider," he said, resting his hand on her arm and beginning to lead her towards the drink table. Ella began to move with him, but she froze when her eyes landed on their destination. Eddie had come back inside, his face and clothes now free of wine stains, but his scowl a reminder of what had occurred outside. He was standing with Hugo, who looked concerned and seemed to be trying to get the story of whatever had happened out of his friend.

Ella held back a shiver and willed herself not to cry. Not here and not now. And not in front of James, who would stop at nothing until she told him what was wrong.

"Actually," she began, her voice cracking as she looked up into James' concerned, warm, hazel eyes, "I think I'd like to go home."

"Home?" James asked in surprise. "Ella, you've been looking forward to this for weeks, and Anne would be disappointed if you left. What's going on?"

"Nothing," she said insistently, turning to walk in the opposite direction of the drink table, James following right behind her.

"It's obviously not nothing if you're so intent on ditching a party when it's only barely started," he insisted. Ella let out a huff of annoyance, deciding on her destination and heading out into the lobby.

"Ella, I'm just trying to help, so please talk to me," said James, following her into the coat room.

"You can't help, James," she said, feeling like she could start crying any second and desperately wishing not to. "I've made a fool of myself and there's nothing you can do to fix that. Where the hell did that bastard hang my coat?!"

Her voice had risen until it was almost a yell, but then silence engulfed them, and she knew James was watching her even though her back was to him. Ella was able to hold it together for a few more seconds, taking a few deep breaths and gripping the coats she'd been searching through, before she gave in and let the tears come.

Her shoulders were shaking in silent sobs as the tears streamed down her face, her hand going to cover her mouth as she did her best to breath evenly. And then James was behind her and his hand was on her shoulder and she was turning into him, her arms tightening around his waist as he rubbed her back, which was still covered by his jacket.

He didn't say anything, merely held her as she cried for what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes. Eventually, she calmed down enough to pull away, wiping at her tear stained face and trying not to think about how much her makeup was now ruined. The evidence was all over his shirt.

"Sorry," she mumbled, her hand running over his chest where her tears and mascara had stained it. James shrugged.

"It's alright. Plenty of spells that can fix that. You, however…"

He was looking down at her, concern written all over his face as his hands rested on her shoulders, squeezing them in an effort to relax her. She let out a sigh, brushing at her cheeks once again before meeting his questioning gaze and telling him everything.

She was thankful he listened patiently, not interrupting her once as she told of how foolish she'd been and how arrogant Eddie was and how Helen didn't deserve any of it.

"It's all my fault," Ella said, pausing to blow her nose in a handkerchief that James had pulled from the pocket of his jacket. "I should have seen what was happening, and I shouldn't have encouraged her. Merlin, she's going to hate me. This is such a mess."

James remained silent, rubbing her arm in a comforting manner, but she knew what he was thinking.

"You don't have to tell me you were right," she said a bit petulantly. "It's fairly obvious now that I've mucked things up."

He was smiling slightly, but it wasn't arrogant. "You meant well, though."

She gave a light laugh, shocked and grateful that he wasn't scolding her for her stupidity. "Are you going easy on me because you know how brutal telling Helen will be?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug, pulling out his wand and tapping it to his chest, immediately making it look spotless once again. "Maybe. But you don't need me to tell you you made a mistake. You seem to know that well enough on your own."

She nodded, her expression turning a bit sheepish. "I really did think he liked her."

"I know," James said with a sigh, pulling her into a hug once again, his chin resting on the top of her head. "And who knows, maybe she doesn't like him as much as you think she does."

Ella just hummed noncommittally, her cheek pressed up against his warm chest as she desperately wished for him to be right.

"Still want to go home?" he asked a few moments later. She considered it for a moment before shaking her head and stepping out of his embrace.

"No, I couldn't do that to Anne. Or Sarah. We only get so many days together before she has to leave. Plus, I doubt he'll come anywhere near me the rest of the evening."

James chuckled as she took his jacket from around her shoulders and handed it back to him. "Just keep a glass of wine handy, and he'll run for the hills."

Ella chuckled as they moved to rejoin the party, stopping when they reached the thankfully empty lobby. "I'm just going to run to the loo," she explained when she didn't begin to follow him into the party, "see if I can clean up this mess."

She gestured to her face and James smiled, moving back towards her and kissing the top of her head. "See you in a bit?"

Ella nodded, watching him rejoin the party before heading into the bathroom that was just off the lobby, resolving not to think about the reality she would have to face tomorrow, and focusing instead on how grateful she was that, no matter how much she might screw things up, she had people in her life that would be there no matter what.

* * *

 **A/N: Well that was fun. This was actually one of my favorite chapters to write so I hope you enjoyed it.** **Thanks for all your amazing reviews! I'd love to hear what you think about this chapter. We meet another Weasley in the next one so stay tuned!**


	7. The Favored Daughter

Any hope that Ella had placed in James' theory that maybe Helen didn't care as much as Ella thought she did was thoroughly dismissed by her reaction to the news that Eddie Finnigan had been interested in Ella this whole time. She was positively heartbroken.

It wasn't that Helen had sobbed and been overcome by despair. That might have actually been easier to endure. Instead, she'd listened to Ella's strained retelling of the events of the Christmas party with a pained and desolate expression, a few tears falling down her cheeks as she slowly withdrew into herself.

Ella had even shed a few tears when Helen assured her that it wasn't her fault, and that she'd been silly to think that he could have ever taken a fancy to her in the first place. She said again and again that Ella didn't need to apologize, even as she continued to do so. Ella found it to be a great relief when Helen seemed to have no desire to allow this turn of events to damage their friendship, and it almost served to make it even stronger.

One thing Ella hadn't been expecting was Hugo's reaction. He'd stopped by the pub the next day, and his attitude had shocked her.

"Did you mean to lead him on?" Hugo had asked, indignant on his friend's behalf.

"I did no such thing," Ella had hissed at him in frustration. "I only encouraged his presence because I thought he fancied Helen. You have to believe that I never thought of him in any way other than as a potential match for my friend. Of course I was friendly. I didn't want him thinking he wasn't welcome when I thought he was interested in Helen."

Hugo had seemed stunned by this news, and it became apparent that Eddie hadn't told him the whole story.

"You really didn't see it?" he'd asked in astonishment. "I thought it was obvious you were the one he was after."

Ella had felt a pain in her chest at these words. Had she really been the only one who hadn't seen it? Matt and Cassie hadn't been surprised by the news. Even Al had picked up on Eddie's intentions and he'd barely seen them together. James had even told her she was mad to think Eddie would go for Helen. She'd been stupid and blind, and she wasn't the only one suffering the consequences.

Thankfully, Hugo let the matter lie after that, seeming to feel bad for speaking so harshly to her at first. Even assuring her that the mix up and the fallout wouldn't affect their friendship, though Eddie was likely to be absent for a while. Not that Ella had any desire to see him anytime soon.

After that, Christmas passed in a blur with Ella doing her best to pull herself out of her ill temperament so she could enjoy the last few days with Sarah and her family. Helen spent the next few weeks almost in a daze, her eyes constantly red and her entire demeanor portraying how devastated she was. If Ella had known that this would be Helen's response, nothing would have been able to bring her out of her misery at the Christmas party, even James' reassuring words and presence. She'd never dreamed that Helen had cared as much as her reaction to Eddie Finnigan's indifference towards her showcased. Nothing she or anyone else said or did could pull Helen out of her funk as December became January.

"She wouldn't be suffering at all if I hadn't interfered," Ella said to Anne one day. She'd gone over to see her on a Sunday morning at the beginning of January, and the two of them drank tea and sat in the Malfoy's flat attached to the inn as Ella finally filled her friend in on all that she'd missed. "Helen might even be off in Greece right now, thoroughly enjoying traipsing around the country with Lorcan and far happier than she is right now if it weren't for me."

"Ella, she made her own choices," Anne assured her, placing a hand on her blanket covered knee as they sat together on the couch in front of the living room fire. "Maybe you had an influence, and maybe she made different decisions because you were in her life, but she didn't have to."

"But I should have known better," Ella said in a small voice. "I took advantage because I could tell how much she looked up to me and valued my advice. James was right. My friendship hasn't done her any good."

"Of course it has," said Anne. "Despite all of this, she really has seemed to love working at the inn, and she's far more sure of herself around people than she used to be. Well, at least until recently."

They fell into silence, Ella unable to think of anything other than what she could have done better, but there was no point. The damage had been done, just like James had feared. And she couldn't think of any way to fix it. She was just grateful that Eddie Finnigan had kept well enough away, just like Hugo said he would. Ella hadn't seen him since the Christmas party, and someone else from his father's company had taken over for him when it came to supplying the pub. That didn't mean his absence wasn't noted, and Ella couldn't help but notice the way Helen's eyes grew watery every time Eddie's replacement stopped by. It seemed they couldn't escape what had happened, no matter how hard they tried.

But, thankfully, life never stays boring for long, and two weeks into January, a distraction came in the form of Rose Weasley.

It had been during what had become a typical day at the Leaky Cauldron. Cassie was taking orders while Helen tended the bar - as she wasn't currently suited to have lengthy interactions with people - and Ella was at her favorite booth by the fire when Hermione Weasley walked in, closely followed by her daughter. It had been awhile since they'd seen each other, but Ella would have recognized the older girl anywhere.

Rose Weasley had dark red hair that fell just past her shoulders in slightly less wild curls than her mother, who was a few inches shorter than her daughter and a bit curvier, but otherwise a similar lean build. Her complexion was fair, resembling her father's, though she didn't have as many freckles, and her warm brown eyes were enough to make anyone destined to like her the moment she smiled at them.

Ella pushed aside any resentment she might have towards Rose and quickly stood from her booth, rushing forward to pull the taller girl into a hug.

"How long has it been?" Ella asked as Rose hugged her back.

"Three years, maybe?" said Rose, light laughter issuing from her mouth that a poet probably would have compared to the beautiful sound of birds on a crisp spring morning. "I haven't been back since Al and Sarah's wedding."

"Well," said Ella, pulling back and giving one of her first genuine smiles in weeks, "it's wonderful to see you. It's a shame you had to just miss Sarah and Al, though."

"Oh, I've been to Egypt a few times since they moved there," Rose said, waving her delicate hand dismissively. "They have such a charming little home there, don't they?"

Ella felt her smile become strained as she shrugged, doing her best to not let her jealousy show. "I haven't been yet, actually. I've seen some pictures, though, from when James and Lily visited."

"Ah," said Rose, obviously feeling the tension that had appeared. But Hermione saved them from any awkward silence.

"Rose surprised us by showing up at the house last night," she explained. "She's in town to work on the new import agreements with the French Ministry. She practically wrote the whole thing herself, and it's almost like she's representing both countries, seeing as she's been living in France for so long. We're very proud of her."

Ella gave a polite nod as Rose turned a bit red. "How long will you be here for?"

"As long as it takes to work through mediations," Hermione answered for her daughter, "so she could be here for weeks of even months, though her work is so impeccable, I doubt it'll take that long."

"We really don't know for sure," Rose interjected, obviously a bit uncomfortable with the high praise. "It really could be a while."

"Well, that's wonderful," said Ella. "I know your family's missed you."

Rose gave her a grateful smile before Ella showed them to a table.

"This is Helen, by the way," she said, gesturing for Helen to make her way towards the table. The girl approached a bit tentatively, though she didn't seem as miserable as usual, a curious look on her face. Rose greeted her warmly, and Helen's eyes widened in recognition as she assured Rose how glad she was to finally meet her. "And of course you know Cassie," Ella said, indicating where the girl in question was currently taking the order of another table of patrons. "She'll get you whatever you need. This one's on me. Welcome home."

Rose did her best to resist the kindness, but Ella insisted and she eventually relented, thanking her gracefully as the mother and daughter were left to their lunch.

"She seems lovely," said Helen, her attitude the most engaged it had been in weeks. "Honestly, she's exactly the way I imagined she'd be. So well put together and elegant and kind. Not to mention stunning."

"Oh, I know," said Ella as she followed Helen behind the bar, summoning the notebooks and quills she'd left at her booth. "I told you Hermione didn't exaggerate. Rose Weasley is the standard of perfection that we all strive to be but could never actually achieve. It's quite the expectation to live up to."

"Surely you don't need to worry about that," Helen said incredulously. "Everyone sees you quite the same as they see Rose."

"Except the only accomplishment I have is to keep this place from going under," said Ella. "I might be smart and have my talents and even be fairly pretty, but I'm no Rose Weasley."

"Well, everyone likes you," Helen offered as Ella helped her restock the bottles of butterbeer behind the bar. "You're practically the center of the local social sphere."

Ella laughed at the conviction in Helen's words. "Thanks, Helen. I suppose that's one accomplishment I have over Rose Weasley."

* * *

The snow that had first fallen the night of the Christmas party had barely ceased in the weeks following. There was now a constant layer of snow on the rooftops, the well worn streets of Diagon Alley covered in white powder. As much as Ella loved the snow, she was thankful she didn't have to spend every day walking through the sludge that gathered along the roads.

It was a few days after Rose had returned to town when they had one of the heaviest snowfalls of the year. It was only the second week of January, so Ella knew there were probably plenty of blizzards ahead, but it didn't make this one any less ominous. The rooms in the inn were starting to fill up already, and she doubted she'd have any available by the end of the day.

"Tell Gina that room ten needs fresh linens when she comes back from her break," Ella told Cassie, who nodded as she entered the rather large crowd of people who'd taken shelter from the snow, steaming mugs of warm butterbeer in her hands. Ella watched from behind the bar as Cassie smiled and carried on pleasantly with the table of patrons she delivered the beverages too, her countenance falling as soon as she walked away.

Cassie wasn't someone Ella would normally describe as a happy person, but she always seemed content enough. The past few weeks had changed that. It had been a subtle enough change that Ella hadn't noticed at first, but then James had asked how she was doing, pointing out that something seemed to be bothering her. Now she couldn't not see the way that Cassie seemed to look exhausted most days, her shoulders slumped and her eyes a bit hollow. Ella also couldn't remember the last time she'd made a joke, her dry humor always getting a laugh from the people at the bar.

Ella didn't know much about Cassie's personal life, other than the fact that she was best friends with Lily Potter and the only child to two Muggle parents. She still lived with them in Muggle London, where they worked as bookshop owners. Cassie also worked a few hours there throughout the week. Everything else she knew about Cassie, she'd learned through observation.

Of all her duties at the inn, the thing Cassie enjoyed the most was walking a block to the post office on the days she worked, collecting their mail as well as taking out what needed to be delivered. Ella had asked her about it once, seeing as they could do most of this by owl, and Cassie had simply said she enjoyed the fresh air and the few moments of peace. There were many times throughout the week that she could be caught whistling, her tunes rather melodious, giving Ella the feeling that she was musically skilled. She was also very adept at cleaning spells, taking half the time as Gina to put the rooms back in order once they'd been vacated. Other than that, she was rather tight lipped, not giving much away in regards to her personal life. So there was nothing for Ella to try and decipher, since she had nothing to go off of. And Cassie wasn't one to just naturally open up if you tried talking to her.

Unable to find any reason for the girl to be in a rather somber mood, Ella shook herself out of her musings about Cassie and moved to take the order of a young wizard who'd just taken a seat at the bar.

"What can I get you?" she asked, putting on the cheerful demeanor she always adopted with new patrons. He'd been almost nervously glancing around the room, but stopped and looked at her when she spoke.

"Those warm butterbeers look alright," he said with a kind smile. Ella found her own turning genuine as she moved to make his drink.

"Is this your first time here, or have we met before?" she asked, setting the steaming beverage in front of him and taking him in fully. He was dressed in a dark gray coat, a black scarf around his neck with a matching knit cap on his head that completely covered his hair. If he had any, that is. She couldn't tell. His skin was fair and his features were slightly angular, though very becoming. What really caught her attention was his bright blue eyes that seemed to pierce her with warmth despite their cool color. Even though she couldn't place him, there was something about him that seemed so familiar, almost like she should know him.

"I can't say that I've ever been here before, so no, I don't think so," he said, pulling his tankard forward and blowing on the steaming froth. "I'm not exactly from here."

Ella nodded, noting there was something slightly different about his accent but unable to pick out what it was. He returned to glancing around the room again as Ella continued to contemplate how she could possibly know him.

"Maybe we met at Hogwarts, then. Though you were probably a few years ahead of me," she said. He turned his attention back to her, an amused smile on his face.

"I doubt it."

He sipped his butterbeer, and Ella stepped away to tend to another customer, unable to help herself from making her way back towards him a few minutes later.

"You in town on business or pleasure?" she asked, picking up an empty wine glass and polishing it with a rag just to look busy.

"Not really sure yet," he said, checking his watch as he set his drink back down on the bar. He seemed agitated, as if he were waiting for something to happen or trying to decide whether or not to act.

"Well, I hope you've already made arrangements for a place to say," said Ella. "This storm is only supposed to get worse, and I'm almost full up already."

"I'll be fine, thanks," he said with a small smile. Ella gave a nod in acknowledgment before leaving him to his drink and tending to the other people at the bar. Normally, she would have thought someone like him rather rude, but there was something about the young wizard that intrigued her, and she found it hard to think ill of him. Even though his words were dismissive, he'd said them kindly. And there was still this nagging feeling that she should know him. She knew it would drive her mad until the moment she figured it out.

She kept an eye on him discreetly, only walking back over to see if he needed a refill when she noticed his tankard was empty.

"No, thank you," he'd assured her. "I actually should be going."

He stood to leave, reaching into his pocket to pull out some coins, but Ella held up her hand to stop him.

"Don't worry about it," she said dismissively. "First drink for new customers is always on me."

He looked surprised for a moment before he smiled, giving her a grateful nod before shoving both hands in his coat pockets and turning to leave, his shoulders braced to face the cold as he walked out the front door and left Ella hoping that it wouldn't be the last time she saw him. Whoever he was.

"Cass said something about room ten?" Gina said in an annoyed tone, coming up to lean on the bar.

"Yes," said Ella, pulling her gaze away from the door as it swung shut behind the stranger and gesturing towards a corner booth. "The Fletcher family is over there eating lunch, and I want to be able to get them checked in as soon as they're done. I noticed it's been cleaned, but the linens weren't changed, so if you'd take care of that, please?"

Gina gave a sigh before nodding and slowly making her way towards the stairs that led up to the rooms. Ella had figured out early on that Gina was the type of worker that she had to speak to as straightforward as possible, otherwise she'd find some type of loophole or even do her best to convince Ella to do the work herself. It was a near miracle that she went off to do her work without another word on the subject. Still, it grated on Ella to receive any attitude from Gina.

Her slightly sour mood was immediately lifted and replaced with pleasant surprise when she spotted James passing Gina on the stairs.

"I thought you had a match today," she said as he came and sat at the bar.

"You think it's bad here, you should see Tutshill. Us Quidditch people may be a bit nutty, but we know when to call it a day. My manager Floo called this morning saying the league canceled the match and not to even bother going to the pitch today, so I had a bit of a lie in."

"Well," said Ella, a smile on her face as she prepared him a cup of tea, "it's a pleasure to have you snowed in with us. Although, I wish you'd come down earlier."

"Why?" he asked, pouring a bit of cream into his tea as Ella wrote down his usual breakfast order before sending it back to Sally.

"Because," she said, remembering the mysterious customer from only moments ago, "there was a young man who came in that I felt certain I knew from somewhere, and you could have been useful in helping me figure it out."

"Really?" he asked, doing his best to look intrigued as he stirred his tea.

"He just seemed so familiar," she insisted, resting her elbow on the bar and her chin in her hand. "I don't know," she said with a sigh. "Maybe I've finally lost it."

"Either that or you just thought he was fit."

Ella scowled at James' teasing smirk. "Maybe he was, but it was more than that."

James' smirk remained on his face, but the laughter almost disappeared from his eyes. "More? You finally starting to open yourself up to romance?"

"I just mean I had the feeling I should know him," she said with a dismissive roll of her eyes. "Or at least that he was important. Maybe he's a professional Quidditch player and I've seen him plastered over magazine covers. You know I don't keep up with that stuff very well."

James chuckled, amused by her once again. "I'll never forget when you met my team. Our Seeker has set more records than any before him, and you had no clue who he was. I think you even called him by the wrong name at one point when you were talking to him."

Ella laughed, the memory more humorous to her than embarrassing. "I don't even remember which one you're talking about."

James laughed along with her, shaking his head as his food appeared on the counter behind Ella, who placed it in front of him.

"There's only one Quidditch player I care about," she said with finality, "and that's enough to be getting on with."

James gave her a content smile. "I'm just glad you care at all."

Ella laughed, gripping his hand for a second before walking off to see to her other customers. It wasn't that she disliked Quidditch, she just didn't care about it. Unless it had to do with James. The only time she'd enjoyed going to matches at school was during her first year, when he'd been the Captain of his house team. Even now, though, she barely got to one match a season, but James was alright with that. He claimed she more than made up for it by being so hospitable and making sure he maintained a healthy diet.

Ella had been very thankful for James lately. Everything that had happened with Eddie Finnigan had been emotionally draining, and it was exhausting to see Helen so despondent each and every day. While she might be doing a bit better, she wasn't the same girl she'd been before, and Ella hated knowing she had something to do with that. But James had done his best to be encouraging and distracting, telling them funny stories and doing what he could to make Helen laugh. He never brought it up to Ella, which she was thankful for. There was so much he could have rubbed in her face, especially when he'd been sitting at the bar late one night right as they closed and Helen had been sitting quietly next to him, a statement escaping her lips that had Ella's heart dropping into her stomach.

"I should've gone with Lorcan."

She hadn't said anything else, merely sat silently for a few more moments before sighing and standing, heading towards the stairs and up to her room. But James had said nothing, merely letting the statement sit between them for a moment before changing the subject entirely. So she was grateful that he didn't seem to be holding her meddling against her.

The only time the subject had really been broached was a few days after she'd told Helen what had happened at the party. The poor girl had needed to retreat into the kitchen when she'd almost been overcome by tears at the sight of one of his family's bottles of firewhiskey, and Ella had stated to James that she'd never meddle in her friend's love life again.

She was determined to keep to her resolution, so the subject was rarely brought up between her and Helen either. Helen would sometimes comment on things she missed about Eddie, showing that she actually really had grown to care for him, but Ella did her best to avoid the subject and worked on getting Helen to not think about it instead. She was thankful any time something came up that gave them something new to talk about, and even started coming up with things to do that would distract them, including suggesting they do an open mic night.

"It's this thing that Helen told me about that Muggles do in bars and cafes," Ella explained to James when she suggested the idea. "Basically, people can sign up and perform music throughout the night. We could shuffle tables and stuff around and even bring my piano down."

It was a testament to how much of a rut everyone was in that James actually seemed on board with the idea, not being musical at all himself. A plan was made - with excitement on both Ella and Helen's part - to have a music night at the pub in the near future. And even though they were able to find plenty to distract themselves with, Ella was almost constantly dreading something popping up that would completely derail any progress they'd made in moving on, and it finally happened a few days after the music night plans were set.

The bad news had been delivered through James, marking the first time since before Christmas that the subject had been explicitly mentioned between himself and Ella.

He'd rushed into the inn a few days after the snowstorm, his hair windswept and his cheeks pink as his eyes frantically searched the room for Ella. Spotting her at her booth, he rushed over, sliding in across from her and breathing heavily. Ella watched him in alarm.

"What on earth-"

"Is Helen around?" he said in a rush, his eyes scanning the inn. "I need to tell you something."

"She's upstairs," said Ella. "James, what's going on?"

James took a moment to calm down, taking a sip of her water and loosening his scarf.

"I just ran into Roxanne, who'd just come from lunch with Penelope Jenkins."

Ella nodded, ignoring the impulse to roll her eyes. Roxanne was the Weasley she saw the least, which she wasn't too upset about. They got along well enough, and she even liked Roxanne as a person, but Ella could never understand how she could be friends with Penelope, who usually accompanied Roxanne on the rare occasions she did enter the Leaky Cauldron. It had actually been a long time since she'd seen either of them.

"So, they're friends," said Ella. "What's the big deal?"

"They're back together, Ella," he said. "Penelope and Eddie are back together."

Ella barely had enough time to register her own shock as a gasp sounded from just over James' shoulder. She hadn't noticed Helen come down the stairs, and she was now standing a few feet away from James in the middle of the pub, her hand covering her mouth and her eyes welling with tears as she'd obviously heard the news loud and clear.

"Fuck," James cursed under his breath, burying his face in his hands. Ella stood as if to make her way over to her friend, but Helen shook her head before bolting from the room and heading back up the stairs. They heard one sob before the sound of a door slamming reached their ears.

"That bastard," said Ella, sinking down into her seat in resigned misery. "I can't believe he'd go back to her."

"Maybe she's changed," James said with a shrug, completely familiar with Ella's experience and opinions when it came to Penelope Jenkins.

"Well, if she has, she wouldn't have gone back to him," Ella stated firmly. "He's an arrogant arse."

James let out a pessimistic chuckle. "Guess we'll have to wait and see."

Ella let out a sigh, taking a sip of her water and doing her best not to think about the devastated look she'd just seen on Helen's face. "I hope I never have to."

* * *

 **A/N: We finally get our first glimpse of Rose! Any guess as to who the mysterious stranger is? As always, I appreciate your reviews! Also, it's my birthday week, and you could give me no better gift than to tell me what you think of the story so far. Love to you all and happy reading!**


	8. The Long Lost Son

The dull haze that had set over the Leaky Cauldron didn't last long, which Ella was thankful for. She hated the fact that they were letting Eddie Finnigan's choices affect things so much, but she supposed the ill effects of love had a way of doing that.

The first real change in the atmosphere came with the news that Scorpius Malfoy was finally going to be making his way to town, and his father even came to tell Ella himself.

She and Anne had been sitting in her regular booth by the fire - commiserating over the recent reunion of Eddie Finnigan and Penelope Jenkins - when Draco had arrived with a letter clasped tightly in his hand as he quickly relayed the news.

"I assure you," he told Ella as he sat beside his wife, "he really is coming this time. His Portkey is due to arrive tomorrow after breakfast, and we'd love it if you were able to come to the inn and join us for lunch."

"I'd love to," Ella assured him, thrilled at the prospect of finally putting a face to the name of Scorpius Malfoy. "It's Sunday, so I'm not working, and I have no other fixed plans."

"Neville is supposed to join me for breakfast," Anne said, "so we should ask him to stick around as well so he can meet Scorpius too."

"Of course," said Draco. "He's even met him before when Scorpius was little. Your mother provided us with a lot of food in those early years."

Ella smiled, glad that the memory didn't seem to bring pain to either of them.

"Do you know how long he's staying?" Ella asked.

"As long as he can," said Draco, obviously wishing he had something more solid to go off of. "We're hoping his aunt doesn't try and get him to come home within the first few days, but he's promised at least a week, though his uncle's allowed him as much time in England as he'd like. Theo and I were actually friends in school, so he's been a lot more understanding over the years, but Daphne is hard to argue with. I'm just grateful he's doing what he can to help."

They left a little while later, making Ella promise once again that they'd see her at noon the following day. Even if she already had plans, she would have canceled them. She'd been looking forward to this day for years, and even though part of her still doubted he'd actually be there, Ella let herself grow excited. Even Helen was excited, and she wasn't even going to be meeting him the following day.

"It's like the prodigal son returning home," said Helen, explaining that it was a Muggle reference when Ella had been confused by what she meant. "The son that left home before his time and is now returning after all these years. There's something magical about it, don't you think?"

Ella had to agree. There was something quite magical about finally meeting Scorpius Malfoy. And when she made her way to the Emerald Inn at noon the next day, she felt excitement and anticipation coursing through her, barely able to be contained. She just hoped she didn't make a fool of herself when she finally met him. It would be a disaster if she stumbled all over herself. Then again, she'd never had trouble presenting herself before now, and she had confidence that she'd be as composed as ever this time around too.

She greeted Christine, the now familiar worker at the front desk, who informed her that the Malfoy family and her father were in the dining room. Ella thanked her as she handed over her coat, pausing to compose herself for a moment before entering the same room that she'd wanted to run from only a month prior. It was set up like normal once again, tables on the side of the room nearest the bar and the kitchen, and comfortable looking armchairs and couches over by the fire. There were a handful of other people there for lunch, but they weren't overly busy, and she quickly spotted her party.

Draco and her father were sitting on the side of the table facing her, smiles on both their faces as they listened to the young man across from them, who was sitting next to his new step-mother. He had hair the same color as his father's, though he wore it shorter, cut so that he could only just run his hand through it, which she saw him do as she slowly approached.

Ella smiled when Draco noticed her, standing with a huge grin on his face as he moved around the table to greet her.

"We're so glad you could make it," he said, embracing her and giving her a familiar kiss on the cheek. He stepped back, his grin still on his face as he gripped her upper arms. "Allow me to introduce my son."

Ella's gaze immediately snapped to the young wizard, who moved to stand as his father stepped aside, and she had to hold back a gasp of shock.

There was a moment of hesitation on his end when their eyes met, his bright blue ones flickering with recognition. He seamlessly recovered from his obvious surprise, which no one else appeared to have noticed. Standing, he extended his hand to her to shake with a very becoming smile on his handsome face. A face that Ella had seen at her bar only a week ago, and now knew why he seemed so familiar to her. His resemblance to his father was uncanny.

"Scorpius Malfoy," he said, shaking her hand with both of his. "I've heard wonderful things about you, Miss Longbottom."

Ella chuckled, deciding it best to play along. "And I you. I already know so much about you, that it feels like we've already met."

He chuckled good naturedly, a playful glint in his eyes at her remark. "Well, I only hope I can measure up."

"You've already exceeded my expectations," she said as she took a seat in the chair next to him when he pulled it out for her. "I was beginning to think you might not even be real, yet here you are."

"Are you going to give me a hard time about my rather prolonged absence?" he asked in amusement. Ella shook her head.

"Not too much. I expect you just wanted to keep us in suspense all these years? Though you run the risk of not being able to measure up to all the tales that have been told about you in your absence."

"Have you been exaggerating again?" he said with an eye roll that was directed at his father. Draco gave an innocent smile.

"I can't help it if I'm proud of you."

Scorpius chuckled along with everyone else, shaking his head in amusement.

"Scorpius is set to become a partner at his uncle's law firm," Draco continued, much to the young man's embarrassment, but his father paid him no mind as he continued telling Neville about the cases his son had worked while Anne placed their order. This left Scorpius with the opportunity to lean slightly closer to Ella, keeping his voice down as he spoke to her.

"Thanks for playing along," he said gratefully, Ella noting the slightest French influence to his accent that she'd picked up on when they first met. "I sort of came into town on the spur of the moment last week, knowing I shouldn't have. I would've only been able to stay for a day, and that didn't seem right. I haven't told them, and I appreciate your discretion."

Ella smiled in understanding. "Of course. I know they would have loved to see you, but it would've been disappointing for you to show up only to have you leave again so soon."

"Exactly," he said, relieved that she wasn't blaming him. "It didn't seem fair to show up unannounced only to bolt the next day. It would've seemed flippant."

"Certainly," she said in agreement. "Much better to make your trip a substantial one."

He grinned at her serious tone. "I knew I could count on you."

"You two seem to be getting on well," said Draco, bringing their whispered conversation to attention. Everyone seemed thoroughly pleased that they were already hitting it off, but Ella was worried their secret was about to come out. She watched in admiration as Scorpius handled the situation effortlessly.

"I was merely telling Ella stories about all of _your_ wonderful accomplishments," he said with a teasing grin, and the whole table laughed. It was such a bright and happy atmosphere, something Ella hadn't been a part of for what felt like an eternity. If this was telling of what all her encounters with Scorpius Malfoy were going to be like, he couldn't have come to town at a better time.

"What are your plans for while you're in London?" Ella asked.

"Well," he said, sighing as their food was placed in front of them, "unfortunately, my uncle is having me do a bit of work while I'm here. Just a few meetings a couple of times a week. We're doing some contracted work for the French Ministry, advizing on some legal matters. I should actually be thankful for it. Part of the reason I was able to get away in the first place was because my uncle convinced my aunt he needed me here while the mediations are going on. It's all rather boring stuff, though. All to do with trade and imports and whatnot."

Something pricked at the back of Ella's mind, and she realized what it was a moment later.

"Does that mean you know Rose Weasley?"

Scorpius' eyes widened in surprise. "A bit. She's sort of with the department we're working for."

"And I suppose you think she's absolute perfection, too?"

She ignored Anne and her father's less than enthusiastic attempts to chastise her, taking in the way Scorpius' expression slowly turned from surprised to delighted.

"Actually, I think she's a little _too_ perfect," he said in a conspiratorial whisper that was heard by the whole table. "Can't do anything wrong, can she? It's a bit insufferable."

Ella laughed in delight. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Rose and her parents are joining us for dinner tonight," Draco reminded his son. "And if I'm expected to be on my best behavior, so are you."

Scorpius chuckled, turning back to his meal. "I can't imagine why you think I wouldn't be."

"That's another thing Scorpius is doing while he's in town," said Anne from his other side. "He's excited to meet everyone that his father and I talk about in our letters."

"Merlin, that'll take forever," said Ella. "Especially if you plan on meeting all the Potters and Weasleys. Whatever happened to the idea of throwing a party?"

"It's still on the table, if Scorpius is up for it," said Anne. "He just showed up so last minute that we haven't been able to plan anything. I saw Hermione yesterday and told her the news, and she insisted that we join them for dinner tonight, otherwise we might have talked about doing something this evening."

"We should plan something at the Leaky," said Ella, beginning to run away with the idea once again. "Actually, we're having a music night on Saturday, and most of the people you'd want to meet are going to be there. You should come!"

"I wouldn't miss it," he said with a charming smile.

"Brilliant!" she said. "People are going to sign up to perform, so if you have any musical talents, I'd start practicing."

He grinned at her challenging stare, and Ella found herself giddy with excitement at his response. "I'll tune my guitar."

It was all she could do to keep from clapping in excitement. They carried on discussing music, which led to books, which led to all sorts of topics. It was one of the best afternoons Ella had experienced in weeks.

She wasn't expecting to see Scorpius Malfoy again until the Saturday they'd planned on for the music night, but he surprised her by showing up at the Leaky Cauldron on Monday, claiming he was desperately in need of lunch and good company.

"I was in meetings all morning," he complained as he joined Ella at her booth, plates of fish and chips in front of them. "Some of these Ministry people are right bores."

Ella laughed. "Well, I'm glad to be a source of escape for you. Are you done for the day?"

He shook his head, waiting to chew his bite of fish before responding. "I have one more meeting, and I hope it doesn't last as long as I think it could, but I won't bore you with the details."

They finished their lunch, Scorpius sighing in contentment when he was done.

"How was your dinner last night?" she asked. "Did Ron and Draco behave themselves?"

Scorpius chuckled. "As much as could be expected. They get along fine when they talk Quidditch or play chess. Bit difficult for them to do much more otherwise."

Ella nodded in understand. "And did you find Rose Weasley to be as perfect as usual?"

He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "For the most part. Doesn't seem to be in the best health, though. The winter's made her deathly pale."

Ella snorted in amusement. "You're horrible. What did you think of her parents? I've always liked Ron, but Hermione can be a bit much, don't you think?"

He nodded emphatically. "Wouldn't stop singing the praises of her perfect daughter. It was a tad much, I'll admit. Felt bad for Hugo, having to deal with all that. I quite liked him."

Ella smiled appreciatively. "Everyone likes Hugo. I think he's fine with the fact that his mum doesn't brag about his illustrious career of helping his uncle and cousin run a joke shop."

Scorpius snorted in amusement. "I got the feeling she thought he was wasting his potential. If there's one thing that can be said for the Weasleys, it's that they're not afraid of family confrontation in front of others."

"Bloody hell, did they actually argue in front of you and Anne and Draco?"

"No," Scorpius said with a chuckle. "But you could tell they wanted to."

Ella laughed along with him. "Well, you only have to endure them for as much as you'd like to. You can even ignore them at the music night on Saturday for all I care. Though I suppose you have to see Rose when you're working," she said pityingly.

"It's alright," he said with a wave of dismissal. "We barely have to interact. I'm working more with the French Ministry, and she's been doing a bit more on the side of the British one, since she technically works for them as a liaison. We don't interact much, thankfully. I actually saw more of her in France, even though we still didn't have much to do with each other. Unless we both happened to be invited to Teddy's for something."

"You're friendly with the Lupins?" Ella asked in surprise. Scorpius nodded.

"We're cousins, and I usually see them if I ever have work to do for clients at the Ministry in Paris," he explained. "My aunt's never been big on the connection, as she's not big on the Weasleys and he basically is one. But it was important to my dad and Teddy that we get to know each other, and we finally met last Christmas. He's a great bloke, so I'm glad we did. Rose was just always at whatever parties or dinners they had."

"Sounds fun," said Ella sarcastically, and Scorpius chuckled.

"They dote on her, actually," he said as if the notion was ridiculous. "And she seems to be close with Dominique, who was always around with her fiance. I don't think an evening went by when they didn't try and get her behind the piano. And I'm sure the same thing will happen on Saturday, especially if her mother is there to encourage her."

"Well, we all know that Rose Weasley has talents beyond compare," said Ella, and they shared an amused chuckle.

They were interrupted by Helen coming over to see if they needed anything, giving Ella the opportunity to introduce her to her new friend. It brought her great joy to see Helen light up around him, which she expected just about anyone would do. He had such an infectious spirit, one that Ella felt she hadn't seen in anyone before. Despite the somewhat troubled circumstances of his upbringing, Scorpius Malfoy was the picture of happiness.

Scorpius continued to make appearances at the Leaky Cauldron leading up to Saturday. The only person who didn't seem too impressed by him was James, who'd interacted with him on multiple occasions by the time Saturday rolled around. They appeared to get along well enough, but Ella could tell that something about him didn't sit well with James. She just couldn't figure out what.

"He's just so…" James trailed off, trying to come up with an explanation himself when she asked him about it. "I don't know. He's almost too confident, you know? He knows he's predisposed to be well liked since people have been chomping at the bit to meet him for ages. And I don't particularly like the way he was with Rose the other day."

Ella let out a sigh, slouching back in the booth she and James were currently occupying, this conversation becoming more and more familiar each time they had it. The incident James was referring to had happened the previous Tuesday, only two days after Scorpius had arrived in town. It was the first time James had met the younger Malfoy, and Rose had been there as well, spending time with her cousin after work.

Scorpius, James, and Rose were sitting at the bar, and Ella had been under the impression that they were having a splendid time, but James had been insistent that Scorpius' had made remarks that were unnecessary and even rude jabs at his cousin. Ella had replayed what happened in her mind a handful of times. At one point, Scorpius had asked Rose if she ever did anything for fun, with her response being that she enjoyed reading a good book, and Ella could still clearly see the exasperated look that Scorpius had shared with her, both of them doing their best to contain chuckles. This was the way the majority of the conversation had gone.

"What's so wrong with asking people questions about their lives?" Ella asked for what felt like the tenth time. "He was merely making conversation. It's not his fault that Rose can be a bit dull."

James gave Ella a surly look. "Rose is not as outspoken and comfortable around people as you and Malfoy are, and to use that as ammunition against her isn't fair."

Ella just rolled her eyes at how serious James was taking this. "I doubt she even knew-"

"That you were making fun of her?" interrupted James. "She's not an idiot, whatever the two of you might think."

Ella sighed, leaning forward onto the table and towards James. "I'm sorry if we upset you, but she didn't seemed bothered, so I don't see why you're in such a huff about this, other than the fact that you're determined not to like Scorpius. If you saw past your own predisposition to dislike him, you might actually find him just as lovely as the rest of us do. I won't deny that I greatly enjoy his company, as anyone but those who are determined to be unhappy would."

James gave her a pointed look when she just looked at him innocently. "Then why are you spending time with a grouch like me when you could be in much more pleasant company?" he asked with a slightly sarcastic tone. "Isn't he normally here every day?"

"Normally, he probably would be," said Ella, refusing to rise to his bait, "but he had meetings this afternoon and said something about having to get a haircut after."

James' brow rose skeptically. "Seriously? He barely has any hair to begin with."

"Will you stop doing everything you can to find ways to think badly of him?" she snapped, crossing her arms and looking at him sternly.

"It's not that I think badly of him," James insisted. "I just don't particularly see us becoming the best of friends, that's all."

They were saved from continuing the conversation by Helen inquiring after the mail.

"Mrs. Higgins in room three says she's expecting a letter from her daughter, but there's nothing in any of the boxes for the rooms. Did Cassie not go and get it again?"

Ella let out a sigh. While Cassie was normally on top of things when it came to going to the post office, she'd failed in her task almost every day the past week. It was completely out of character.

"I'll check with her," said Ella, standing from the booth she'd been sitting at with James and making her way up the stairs, knowing Cassie was working on putting some of the rooms back in order.

Ella found her a few rooms down, her concentration focused as she cleaned out the fire. Her normally well kept blonde curls were starting to escape her ponytail, and she was significantly dirtier than she should have been, leading Ella to believe she'd been having trouble with her spells and had resorted to doing some cleaning by hand. She also seemed to be doing everything she could to keep from crying.

This being a completely foreign situation for Ella as far as Cassie was concerned, she did the only thing she felt comfortable doing given the circumstances, and quickly left the older girl alone without alerting her to her presence, walking as silently as possible back down the stairs.

"She's got her hands full at the moment," Ella explained, doing her best to appear as if everything was fine. "I'll just go get the post myself."

She bid James farewell before he Flooed home to have dinner with his parents, and then summoned her coat, hat, and gloves before heading out into the cold afternoon.

The post office was only a block away, and Ella quickly made her way down the crowded road. It was just gone five o'clock on a Thursday, so people were making their way home from work. She'd nearly made it to her destination when she spotted a familiar head of red hair coming her way.

"Hi, Rose," she said pleasantly once they were only a few feet apart. It became obvious that the other girl hadn't noticed her when she gave a startled jump and looked around for a moment before spotting Ella.

"Hello, Ella," she said, a flustered smile on her face as she shoved a letter she'd been reading in her pocket. Ella was about to say something else, like maybe ask how she was doing or where she was heading, but Rose simply gave her a nod before continuing to walk past her and down the street. Ella turned and watched her go, dumbfounded by what felt like a slightly cold reception.

Despite the way she sometimes complained about Rose, Ella couldn't point to an instance where they didn't get along. Even their interaction the other day had seemed friendly, despite James' insistence that it might have appeared otherwise. And even if James was right, Scorpius had been the one making comments, not Ella, even though she'd shared in the joke with him a bit. So the fact that Rose would be so standoffish boggled her mind. She'd made the observation over the few weeks Rose had been in town that the girl seemed more reserved than she'd been before, and maybe this was just more evidence of that. But something felt off.

Ella returned from the post office a few minutes later, her mind still running wild with why Rose was behaving strangely, and what she could have possibly done to upset her.

* * *

 **A/N: And now we have Scorpius! I'll be honest, he and Ella both kind of drive me nuts in the chapter, but I also love them. I'd also love to hear what you think! Coming up next is the music night!**

 **Also, I wanted to address a guest review who was concerned about the way a certain plot from the source material might shake out. in Emma, James' equivalent is suspected of having feelings for Rose's equivalent. That won't be happening. I did make changes throughout the story, which you will begin to see become more apparent in the next chapter.**


	9. The Talented Waitress

By the time Saturday rolled around, Ella had nearly forgotten about her assumption that Rose Weasley hated her. She was too excited about the music night to think of much else.

The Malfoy family arrived early to help with any setup and rearranging of furniture that needed to happen. A place was cleared and a small stage quickly built in the corner of the room closest to the front and opposite the bar. The piano was brought down from the flat that Ella shared with her father and grandmother, the latter of who had insisted on attending that evening. She was currently sitting in a chair by the fire and offering suggestions whenever someone was within earshot of her.

Ella was exceptionally pleased with the setup. They'd long ago expanded the pub and done away with the original entrance into Diagon Alley, replacing it with windows and a regular door like a normal storefront. The piano was placed in such a way that you would be able to see it from the street and walk past it as you entered the pub.

"That'll help bring in customers," Neville said as he surveyed the room with his daughter. "This was a rather brilliant idea, Ella."

She beamed at her father, winding her arm around him and pulling herself into his side. "I'm glad you like it. Any chance we'll be able to get you up there?"

Her father chuckled, shaking his head in amusement as he put his arm around her and gave her shoulder a loving squeeze. "I'm fairly certain you got any musical talent you have from your mother. She would have loved this."

He said it with a sorrowful fondness in his eyes, which were still looking around the room as Cassie moved the last few tables and chairs and Helen placed a bar stool in front of the piano. Ella squeezed him tighter, knowing the timing wasn't right to try and get him to say anything else on the subject.

They'd advertised by putting up flyers in Diagon Alley, encouraging people to come and bring their instruments, and Ella soon realized that they weren't quite suited for the capacity of people that attended. Every chair and barstool was filled by seven o'clock, the time they'd advertised the evening beginning, and the blackboard that hung by the piano was filled with people who'd taken up time slots to perform. There were even people sitting on the stairs that led up to the guest rooms, and even more were standing and leaning against walls.

As overwhelming as it was, Ella was excited, and also extremely thankful that a certain wizard and the girlfriend he'd recently reunited with were not present, both still keeping their distance from the Leaky Cauldron.

"I don't think I've ever seen it this packed," said James, who worked his way through the crowd and to the bar. Ella did a double take when she saw him, noting that he was dressed almost more formal than he had been for the Christmas party. He was wearing a sport coat once again, but his shirt was nicer and his trousers were of the dress variety. Ella thought he actually looked quite dashing.

"There a reason you're all dressed up?" she couldn't help but ask. James rolled his eyes as she set a firewhiskey in front of him.

"Can I do nothing right?"

Ella shrugged. "I just wasn't expecting it, especially since you've never put in much effort before. Why the change?"

"Am I not allowed to change?" he asked, sounding a bit annoyed by her questions.

"Of course not," she said with a smirk. He rolled his eyes once again and sipped his drink.

"Well, I think he looks rather handsome," said Anne, coming up to stand beside Ella behind the bar. She'd volunteered to help out that night as soon as they saw how many people were arriving and Matt had begun to panic. Ella was thoroughly enjoying working with her friend once more.

"Thank you, Anne," James said triumphantly, a pleased smile on his face. "See? That's the proper response when someone puts in a little effort."

Ella chuckled. "My humblest apologies."

"If I could have everyone's attention!" an amplified voice called from the stage at the front of the pub, and every eye turned and voices quieted down as Scorpius Malfoy introduced himself and greeted them all with a smile.

"Miss Longbottom asked if I would be so kind as to help her host this evening," he continued, "as she has so many important things to attend to."

He smiled over at Ella as a smattering of chuckles sounded around the room, mostly female.

"But," he continued joyfully, "she has agreed to help me get things started on the right note this evening, so Ella? Would you be so kind as to join me up here?"

Ella began to make her way towards the front to the sound of friendly cheers and applause. She cast her own _Sonorous_ charm as she sat at the piano, Scorpius grinning as he picked up a guitar and sat on the stool Helen had placed on the stage. They'd only practiced once, but to Ella, it wasn't about how well they did. It was about thoroughly enjoying themselves while also doing their best to provide entertainment, even if it meant they received a few laughs, which they did.

There were a few moments where Ella had to pause and right her hands, Scorpius chuckling as he slowed down his strumming and singing to stay with her. He was practically flawless compared to her performance, but she was loving it. People clapped along to the beat a few times, and they ended with a flourish, Scorpius strumming forcefully as Ella pounded the last resounding note.

They received copious applause and cheers as Ella stood, and they took extravagant bows before she left the stage. Scorpius was quick to announce that Rose Weasley was up next, which said girl seemed to be a bit surprised to hear. Still, she gave a timid smile and approached the stage to polite applause as some had begun engaging in conversation during the lull in entertainment. Ella watched as Scorpius removed the stool from the stage and moved to sit on it a few feet away before preparing to listen. She turned her attention to Rose as well, who was stroking the keys with her eyes closed, breathing deeply.

And then everyone's attention was slowly returning to the stage as Rose began to play, her voice accompanying the notes effortlessly. It was, Ella had to admit, a beautiful display of natural talent. Rose played much better than Ella, though maybe not quite as confidently. But that was probably just because she didn't much like being in front of a crowd. Her voice was soft, not as harsh as Ella's sometimes flat yet acceptable one.

Everyone seemed decidedly charmed by Rose as she delicately played her last few notes to exuberant applause, a few people even calling for an encore. She gave a timid smile and a slight inclination of her head in recognition before making to stand. But then Scorpius had returned to the stage and was leaning over the piano and speaking to her quietly. Ella watched in a bit of surprise to see Rose nod and Scorpius turn back to the crowd to inform them that he'd persuaded Rose to accompany him for his spot on the schedule. He resumed his seat on the stool, his guitar resting on his knee as he beat out a tempo on the top of the piano before Rose began to play, and he joined her seamlessly.

They played very well together, and Ella had to assume that this very thing had happened before, most likely at the Lupins'. They played with an air of familiarity that was surprising to Ella, but they were both so talented that it probably shouldn't have been. Their voices blended in a beautiful harmony that Ella would've been terrified to attempt, and they received the greatest applause of the night so far as Rose left the stage.

Scorpius announced the next performer before quickly making his way over towards Ella at the bar. She shook her head in amusement as he leaned against it and grinned at her, ignoring the subtle glances that Anne was sending their way.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" she said with a slight chuckle. He gave a shrug, grabbing a pretzel from one of the bowls on the bar.

"I do my best to give the people what they want, and it just so happened to be Rose Weasley."

Ella just smiled in amusement as he smirked at her, taking a sip of the wine she'd placed in front of him.

A few more acts went, all of them at least somewhat bearable, though some admittedly better than others, and Scorpius kept everyone excited and engaged as he continued to introduce the performers. They were almost an hour into the evening and people were enjoying their food and drinks and the entertainment, when Scorpius paused to double check the next name on the list.

"Um…'" he said a bit uncertainly, his eyes scanning the crowd. "James Potter?"

Ella's eyes widened in surprise and she let out a gasp of shock, her eyes going to survey the crowded room. There was no way James would actually perform. Ella had never heard him sing or play a note in his life. What was he even planning on doing? Was this some kind of joke?

She hadn't seen James since the beginning of the evening, but she found him easily, his shock of black hair distinguishable amongst the sea of ginger that surrounded him. His mother had come tonight, as well as Rose's parents. Lily was also in attendance, having taken time off from her writing to spend the weekend in London. Hugo, Lucy, and Louis were also present, and so were Fred and Roxanne. And they were all looking at James, completely dumbfounded as he confidently stood from his seat.

But he didn't make his way towards the front. Instead, he wove through the crowd and over towards one of the back booths. His goal didn't become apparent until he reached Cassie, who had a tray full of drinks in her arms and was looking at him almost nervously.

Not many people were paying attention, some of them having returned to their conversations as soon as the last performer had finished, if they were even paying attention then. But Ella was watching dumbfounded as Cassie seemed to argue with James for a moment, before relenting and setting her tray down on the table she'd been serving, following James up to the front and wiping her hands nervously on her apron.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Cassie Jones," Scorpius announced when they reached the front. This was followed by polite applause. The general sound of people eating and drinking carried on as Cassie sat quietly at the piano for a moment, James moving to stand off to the side and watching. Ella barely paid any attention to Scorpius as he came and stood by the bar.

Ella wasn't even ashamed to say that anything anyone else had done or would do the rest of the evening couldn't compare to the beautiful music that Cassie made. She had Ella's confidence, but it was rightfully placed. She had Rose's talent and then some. Her voice was strong and melodious, effortlessly gliding across the notes as easily as her fingers were brushing against the keys. It was the most complex thing anyone had played that evening, yet she made it look and sound so easy. There was beauty in every note, and it was one of the most mesmerizing things Ella had ever seen.

Cassie finished to tumultuous applause, and she smiled at the audience, the first real smile Ella had seen her give in weeks. Then she was rising from the piano and skipping off the stage, running straight at James and throwing her arms around his neck in an exuberant hug.

"Did you know she could do that?" Matt asked in shock. Ella shook her head.

"Lily must've known," said Matt, his eyes going to where the youngest Potter was sitting with her family, smiling brightly as they continued to clap for Cassie. "I can't remember her ever mentioning it before, though."

Ella held in a snort of amusement. "And why would she share that information with you? I was under the impression that the only word she's ever said to you is 'no', with an occasional 'get lost' thrown in."

Matt's cheeks turned slightly pink as he scowled, ignoring Ella's jab and going back to serving drinks.

"I think I can make a good guess as to why James put in such an effort this evening," said Anne in a somewhat conspiratorial voice. Ella looked at her questioningly as they continued to serve people at the bar. "He was trying to impress someone."

"Who?" Ella asked in surprise. James had never been the type to go out of his way to draw attention to himself.

"Who do you think?" asked Anne, nodding over to where James and Cassie were now talking, standing somewhat close together, her hand resting on his arm.

"No," Ella said, her tone a mix of shock and denial. "There's no way. James hasn't taken a fancy to anyone in years, if he ever has at all."

"So?" asked Anne. "People can surprise you."

Ella gave an annoyed huff as Anne disappeared into the kitchen with a few empty pitchers. Grabbing a tray of dirty dishes, Ella followed after her, the sound of the latest performer playing the ukulele deadening as the door swung shut behind her.

"Cassie's been Lily's best friend since they were eleven, so James has known her for a long time," Ella insisted, setting down the tray and flicking her wand so the dishes began cleaning themselves. "There's no way he fancies her. That type of thing doesn't just pop up overnight."

"Well, maybe it hasn't," Anne said with a shrug and a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Come on, Ella. You love this matchmaking stuff."

"And James hates it," she was quick to point out. "Plus, my track record hasn't been the best lately. And I don't think there's anything in it. You're wrong."

Anne gave an indifferent shrug, obviously still convinced that she was onto something. "Maybe. But he did put in an awful lot of effort for her tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if he made a more substantial move sooner rather than later."

Ella gave a groan of frustration as Anne smirked and left the kitchen. Ella followed not far behind. She surveyed what appeared to be a successful evening. Helen was enjoying herself as she took people's drink orders. Even Gina looked to be having a good time as she brought some people their food. Scorpius had wandered over towards the section of Weasleys, and Ella watched in amusement as Hermione jabbered away to him. James was no longer with Cassie, as she had gotten back to work, but he was still standing off to the side of the stage, nursing a glass of firewhiskey and watching the crowd, his gaze drifting towards Cassie more often than not as she floated around the room.

Anne was wrong. There was no way. James have feelings for Cassie? Not that there was anything wrong with the girl. But to Ella, who'd known James all her life, it didn't make sense. He needed someone who kept him on his toes and made life exciting, otherwise he'd never have any fun unless it was on the Quidditch pitch. Ella also knew that James would need something deep and meaningful. A solid connection. Cassie was a nice girl and she was dependable and rather pretty, but James would need so much more than that. Could he really have that with Cassie?

Maybe she was being too judgmental, but it was hard not to be when it had proved nearly impossible to actually get to know Cassie, leaving Ella to form opinions for herself.

Ella was also convinced that James could be nothing other than the typical bachelor, destined to live his life devoted to Quidditch and the family he already had: his parents and his siblings and his niece and nephew. And even Ella and her father. There was no way he'd come around to the idea of marriage. Not that he'd ever been staunchly against it, but he'd never sought it.

And to top it all off, Ella knew James well enough to know that if he ever did take interest in a girl, it would be the real deal. It would be love and marriage and a family. He'd be changing his life drastically, and Ella wasn't convinced she could see that happening with Cassie Jones.

* * *

"It really was such a lovely evening," said Helen the day after the music night. She and Ella and Scorpius were taking advantage of the clear January day to show Scorpius around Diagon Alley. He'd been stuck in meetings all day and was now thoroughly enjoying the shops, and even seemed to have a few memories associated with some spots as well. He'd left the country when he was three-years-old, so it was impressive that he remembered some things. He also knew quite a bit about the area thanks to detailed letters from his father.

As they walked, their discussion alternated between the shops, streets, and the night before.

"I am a bit disappointed I didn't really get to meet everyone, though," said Scorpius as they entered Flourish and Blotts. "That was the whole point of the evening."

"The whole point of the evening was to enjoy some live music and entertainment," Ella said with a teasing smirk. "You were just a last minute addition."

Scorpius chuckled as they began wandering along the shelves. "I suppose that's true."

Ella made her way into the literature section. She'd always meant to read more. Improve her mind, as James liked to call it. She had every intention of picking out a book today in an effort to do just that. James might mock her a bit for picking a piece of fiction with a happy ending. Then again, maybe if he'd finally developed feelings for someone, he wouldn't mock her as much.

"Ah," said Scorpius, coming up behind her and grabbing a book that was at her line of sight. Ella turned to face him as he flipped through the pages. "This was one of my mum's favorites, according to my aunt."

He looked at it fondly, obviously familiar with the text. Snapping it shut, he handed it to Ella.

"That settles it then," she said with a smile. "I'll get this one."

Scorpius smiled warmly at her, and Ella couldn't help returning it. He was standing close to her, and she could feel the slightest bit of warmth on her face from his steady breathing as she looked up at him. His eyes were warm and kind, a hint of mischief in them. A moment later, something almost pained crossed them, and his smile fell.

"Ella," he began, his gaze dropping from hers as he took a deep breath. Ella felt her heart beginning to beat faster as he looked back up at her again, his expression almost imploring. "There's something-"

"There you are!" a familiar voice said from the other end of the aisle. Ella turned to see Helen standing there, accompanied by Hermione Weasley. "Helen told me you two were around here somewhere."

Ella gave the woman a friendly smile as Scorpius stepped away from her, plastering his own smile onto his face and speaking. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"It's really not that unlikely to find me here at the end of the work day," Hermione said with a smile. "It's always been my favorite shop. But I have to tell you what happened this afternoon! Do you remember how I was telling you last night that it was unfortunate that Rose didn't have her own instrument to play at home since she'd taken it to France?"

Scorpius nodded before Hermione continued. "Well, Rose and I went home for lunch today because she'd gotten a memo about a delivery arriving. Neither of us were expecting anything, but we show up to see that someone sent the piano for her! It was a marvelous surprise and she was thrilled. There was no note with it either, so we can only guess who thought to do that for her."

"That's so wonderful for her," said Ella, truly happy with this development as Hermione had mentioned the night before that she should allow Rose to come play on her piano anytime. Now she wouldn't have to.

"It really is," said Hermione. "She played all during lunch, and I can only assume that that's what she'll be doing when I get home. I'm actually grabbing a few music books for her, so I should get to that, but it was lovely to see you all."

Hermione gave them a friendly wave before making her way to the front of the shop with her selections of music in tow. Helen, Ella, and Scorpius were all still discussing the gift and the mystery of the giver as they made their way out of the shop with their own purchases a few minutes later.

"It's not like that would have been easy," said Ella. "Whoever it was would have needed access to her flat."

"And know her parents' address," said Helen, "but that would be easier to get. Does she have a boyfriend that we don't know about?"

"I doubt it," said Ella. "Hermione would have told us if she did. Unless," Ella said in realization, "Rose has a _secret_ boyfriend. That would be quite an interesting development."

"I think there's only one real suspect," said Scorpius, and both girls looked at him in question. "It has to be Teddy."

"Oh!" said Helen. "He's married to her cousin, right? And they live in France too?"

Scorpius nodded. "And Rose spends a great deal of time with them. It could always be Dominique too."

"Or," said Ella, a thought suddenly hitting her, "it _is_ from a secret lover, and it's a secret for a very good reason."

Helen and Scorpius both looked at her curiously as Ella's mind whirled. It was probably nothing, but she couldn't help herself from speculating.

"Hermione said to me once that Dominique's fiance was quite lovely, and that he had wonderful things to say about Rose," Ella said with a conspiratorial smirk. Scorpius' face turned skeptical, and Helen looked outraged.

"That's horrible," the younger girl said. "I don't think Rose would do something like that."

"Maybe not," said Ella, "but maybe the fiance fell for her?"

"You know," said Scorpius, his tone turning mischievous, "You might just be onto something, Miss Longbottom."

"We shouldn't go spreading rumors, though," Ella said with a chuckle. "For all we know, it _was_ Teddy."

"But we can't ignore the fact that I've actually witnessed their interactions," he said with a smirk, "and I'll have you know that Raphael Andry was very much a fan of Rose Weasley."

Ella stopped and looked at him with a dropped jaw. "Why are you just bringing this up now?"

"Because it's rude to gossip," he shot back with a chuckle. "Plus, I never had any real evidence to go off of. Until now."

They continued to discuss the validity of their suspicions, Helen only slightly contributing to the conversation as she still seemed uncomfortable with the idea of someone being unfaithful to their fiance, even if it was people they didn't know. Ella had assured her that they weren't accusing Rose of anything other than being the charming girl she was that most men were likely to take a fancy to.

"It happened all the time in school," said Ella as they made their way to the Emerald Inn. "She didn't date much, but I remember Sarah mentioning that she always at least had an offer for a Hogsmeade date. I wouldn't be surprised if our speculations were correct, even if Rose is oblivious to it."

Their musings were cut short as they entered the inn. Anne was waiting for them in the lobby and showed them up to the suite she shared with Draco. They'd invited Ella and Helen over for dinner the day before, and Ella was looking forward to a night spent with the Malfoys.

The only blemish of the evening happened when Anne brought up her thoughts on James' possible feelings for Cassie once again, though she was careful not to drop any names. Ella knew exactly who she was talking about when she said " _I saw a certain friend of ours today, who mentioned a certain young lady."_ Ella had merely given Anne a look before ignoring the topic, and everyone else followed suit.

The news that Rose's piano had been sent to her was also a topic of conversation, though Scorpius and Ella refrained from bringing up their brand new suspicions as to the sender. All in all, they had a nice evening, but Ella's mind continued to stray to thoughts of James and the many mysteries of Rose Weasley.

Who'd sent the gift? Why did they think to send it? She was too curious for her own good. It was nice that she had the wonderful Scorpius Malfoy to help distract her, as she spent most of her time smiling when she was in his company, and they were together more often than not during his free time. With everything potentially going on with James, and who knows what going on with Rose, Ella was glad to be taking a back seat to matchmaking. At least for the time being.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry I'm a little late in getting this posted! I had a wonderful yet exceptionally busy week. Thanks as always for your lovely reviews! I had one person say they were now reading Emma because of this story, and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. You know the drill, so leave those reviews!**


	10. The Obnoxious Fiancé

"I have a brilliant idea," Scorpius announced with a flourish as he entered the Leaky Cauldron the following Tuesday evening. He approached Ella, who was sitting at the bar with Anne - Helen and Matt standing behind it.

"And what might that be?" Ella asked in amusement as he sat next to her.

"First of all," he began, nodding in thanks to Helen as she placed a butterbeer in front of him, "you lot don't let loose nearly enough."

"Excuse me?" Ella said, affronted by the comment. "We let loose plenty."

"Are you referring to the Christmas party you had where you all just stood around?" he asked skeptically. "Or the music night where we all sat around and did nothing but listen? What ever happened to dancing and frivolity?"

"Frivolity?" Anne said with a chuckle.

"I'm serious," he insisted. "We should have a party. An _actual_ party. I'm beginning to wonder what you all did before I came around."

"A party sounds wonderful," Helen said excitedly. "Where would we have it?"

"Well," said Scorpius, looking around before standing and taking in the pub, "I'm not sure we'd have quite enough room here. You saw how crowded it got the other day. I suppose we could always do it at the inn, but I wouldn't want to put you and Dad out," he said to Anne.

"Nonsense," she said. "If you really want to do this, I'm sure we'd be more than happy to accomodate."

Scorpius grinned at his step-mother before looking at Ella expectantly. She made sure not to give anything away as she faked thinking it over, but she could barely contain her enthusiastic smile.

"You're right," said Ella. "It _is_ a brilliant idea."

Scorpius laughed in delight before suddenly grabbing her hands and pulling her off her stool. Ella gave a shrill laugh as he spun her around, ignoring the looks they received from the people in the pub. He eventually released her hands and Ella collapsed back onto her stool, continuing to laugh as she caught her breath and did her best to ignore the way Anne was looking between her and a still beaming Scorpius knowingly.

"Will I be allowed to come to this one?" asked Matt, who'd been left out of the previous party they'd had.

"Yes," Ella assured him. "We'll make Gina work instead."

Matt beamed in pleasure.

"We should do it as soon as possible," said Ella, turning excitedly to Scorpius.

"We need time to plan, though," said Scorpius. "I want this night to be perfection. You deserve at least that much."

And so plans were excitedly made, the most excited among them being Ella. She'd rarely ever had the opportunity to attend the type of party Scorpius was planning. There had been parties when she'd been at Hogwarts, but she didn't go to those very often, as her friends in school hadn't been fond of them. She was glad she wasn't as close with her fellow Hufflepuffs as she used to be.

But then all of her hopes were dashed when Scorpius showed up at the Leaky Cauldron two days before the party during the second week of February. He found Ella alone in her flat as she went over the budget from the previous month, a somber look on his face.

"Cassie told me you were up here," he said almost apologetically. "I hope I'm not bothering you."

"No, of course not," said Ella, ushering him in with a sense of foreboding. His demeanor seemed resigned and despondent. He sat in an armchair by the fire - the one that Neville usually occupied - while Ella took the couch.

"I've had a letter from my aunt," he began. "She's not doing well, and she's requested I come home."

"Oh," said Ella, doing her best to hide her disappointment. "When do you leave?"

"Today," he said with a sigh. "I've already been gone longer than planned, so I suppose I really should be getting back. Though, to be honest, the moment I got here, I didn't have any desire to leave again."

He fell silent for a moment, his arms resting on his knees as his eyes scanned the room.

"Goodbyes are shite, aren't they?" said Scorpius with a desolate chuckle. Ella did her best to smile reassuringly.

"It won't be forever. I'm fairly certain you liked us well enough to do your best to come back."

A slight smile flickered across his face at her teasing tone. "I don't know when that'll be," he said in frustration. "It'll drive me mad, though, thinking of...you all here."

Ella saw the sincerity in his eyes as he looked at her, and it both excited and terrified her.

"We'll have to cancel the party," she said sorrowfully. "It wouldn't feel right having it with you not here."

"I'm just sad we put it off," he said regretfully. "You were right when you said we should do it right away. You're always right."

He was watching her closely, and a million thoughts flew through Ella's mind. What was he thinking? What was he feeling? Was she feeling the same things? Is that why she was fairly certain her hands would be shaking if she weren't clasping them tightly in her lap? The prospect of him leaving was putting things into perspective, and she was having a hard time sorting through the thoughts running through her mind.

"I wish I wasn't right about this," she said sadly. "But you'll be back," she added optimistically. "No matter what your expectations were coming into this trip, I think you've grown rather fond of us."

He gave a short laugh that was void of amusement. "More than you know."

Scorpius fell silent once again, his eyes glazed over as he stared unseeingly at the floor.

"I just have such a strong...connection to this place, you know?" he eventually continued. "And it's not just my dad or the fact that this is the only place I shared with my mum. Just meeting everyone and realizing how much I feel like I belong here with…"

His voice trailed off, and Ella felt her heart leap into her throat as it began to beat faster. What was he saying? Was he about to confess his feelings? Did he even have feelings?

"It's a shame you can't say goodbye to everyone," she said in an attempt to distract herself. "It would be difficult to track down all those Weasleys. It's a pity, really. Hermione would have loved to have sent you away with warm wishes."

She meant it almost jokingly, so she was a bit surprised by Scorpius' response.

"I already saw them, actually. At the Ministry. Well, some of them, at least. I saw Ron and Hermione, briefly. And Rose…"

For some reason, he trailed off, but his words were strong when he began again.

"You're brilliant, Ella," he continued, looking at her fiercely, "so I'm sure you know everything, no matter how hard I tried to hide it."

"What?" she asked, the word coming out soft and barely audible. She wasn't even sure if Scorpius heard her as he stood and began to pace around the room.

"The truth is..." he began, pausing at the fireplace and gazing at the flames, his stiff posture and facial expressions externalizing his internal debate. He sighed in resignation before turning to walk back towards Ella. "It's just…this place means a lot to me," he said, stopping to face her before sitting next to her on the couch. "I've grown to care so much for...everyone here."

He paused yet again, but Ella couldn't come up with a single thing to say this time. Thankfully, she didn't have to.

"But that doesn't matter right now," said Scorpius with a shake of his head. He offered her a small smile, seeming resigned as he reached out to grip her clasped hands in one of his. She met his eyes, her face blank as she tried to read his own. "I should be going."

Ella found herself nodding as he stood, and she did the same. He only paused for a moment longer to drop a light kiss on her cheek before he turned and left the room. And Ella was left to let her mind run wild with everything that had just happened. The things he'd said and the things he hadn't.

Did Scorpius have feelings for her? Was that what he was trying to say? And what Ella wanted to know even more than that, was whether or not she had feelings for him.

The idea was foreign to her. She'd never really taken a fancy to anyone before. There had been a few boys in school that she accompanied on dates to Hogsmeade, but that was it. No one had ever grabbed her attention long enough to stick around for any significant amount of time, and she'd never really been interested in finding something like that. Was all that about to change? Was Ella about to finally fall for someone? And was that person Scorpius Malfoy?

* * *

Ella's attempts to decipher her feelings for Scorpius Malfoy were a bit derailed almost a week after he left. She'd grown somewhat dull and a bit listless with his absence, and James - who didn't care for dancing and was almost relieved their night had been canceled - had rolled his eyes and been oddly irritated when he'd caught her sighing and staring off into space on a few occasions. Her tendency to do this had nearly convinced her that she did have feelings for Scorpius, when the entire subject was forgotten the day Helen came in looking more distraught than Ella had seen her in weeks.

She'd been doing much better since her heartbreak over Eddie Finnigan, especially with the presence of Scorpius cheering her up. But Ella knew the minute she saw her friend that something must have happened to cause this relapse, whether it had anything to do with Eddie or not. And it turned out that it did.

"He…" Helen began to choke out. "I just-"

But she was saved from having to explain when the door to the pub opened behind her, and the subject of Helen's heartbreak walked through the door. He was arm-in-arm with a tall, slender brunette that stood an inch taller than him, thanks to the shoes she wore that - in Ella's opinion - were a bit preposterous. Especially considering the current climate.

They were laughing merrily together, and Helen had just enough time to hurry into the kitchen before Eddie and Penelope approached the bar. Ella took a few calming breaths as they ordered drinks from Matt before Eddie spotted her at her booth, whispering something into Penelope's ear that made her cackle humorously before they both turned to walk towards Ella, who plastered a forced smile onto her face.

"Good morning," said Ella as they reached her, unsure of what else to say. Eddie's smile that she used to think charming looked a bit strained and even menacing as they stopped in front of her.

"Pleasure to see you as always, Miss Longbottom," he said in a slightly pompous manner. "You know Penelope, of course."

Ella nodded and did her best to smile at the girl, who flipped her hair over her shoulder before extending her left hand to Ella in greeting. She only had a moment to find this odd before the large diamond on Penelope's finger caught her eye and her jaw dropped in shock.

"You're engaged?" she managed to get out. Penelope nodded enthusiastically, a smug look on her face as she wound her other arm around her fiance, her left hand still flashing the ring at Ella.

"That's right," said Penelope. Her voice had a slightly raspy quality to it that Ella assumed was supposed to sound sexy and she wasn't even sure was completely genuine. "We spent the last few weeks in Rome together to get away from _everything_ , and he proposed our last day there. It was _utterly_ romantic. Really, I'm the _luckiest_ girl in the world to have my Eddie bear."

Ella did her best not to gag as Penelope looked at Eddie with a sickeningly sweet look on her face. His expression mirrored hers for a moment before he turned to Ella with a smirk. "Sorry I haven't been around as much, but, like Penny said, I had more important things to be getting on with."

A tight lipped smile graced Ella's features, and she was just glad that Helen wasn't there to witness any of this. She would have been more than fine if he'd never shown his face again. Why he thought he'd been missed in the first place was beyond her.

"I don't remember the piano being down here before," said Penelope as she slid into Ella's booth without an invitation, Eddie following right behind her.

"We had a music night," Ella explained, doing her best to remain civil. "We've just left it down here since then, and it's gotten a lot more use than it ever did tucked away in my flat."

"Oh, well, I just simply _love_ music," Penelope gushed. "I'll have to give you a little show sometime. It's a shame I missed your music night. Do you have any plans to do another one?"

"Actually-"

"I'd be _more_ than happy to organize one for you," Penelope continued. "I've gotten quite good at throwing parties. My sister married into a rather wealthy wizarding family in Italy, and I was staying with them before I came back to town this past fall. She throws the most _brilliant_ parties, so I've learned quite a bit from her."

"Thank you," Ella said when Penelope finally paused, "but we don't have plans to do another one anytime soon."

"Well, you just let me know if you _ever_ change your mind," said Penelope, a simpering smile on her face as she leaned against her fiance, her left hand running up and down his arm.

Ella already didn't care for Penelope, but there was something about the way she was obviously staking her claim that irked her more than anything else she'd ever done, even though Ella had no interest in Eddie Finnigan. Penelope's behavior insinuated that she'd somehow been victorious over Ella, who didn't feel that to be the case at all. And trying to force herself onto Ella's turf on top of that? That was not going to happen.

She had to endure their company for a full twenty minutes after Cassie brought their tea over, giving Ella a look of sympathy as she did so. They droned on about their time in Rome, and Penelope even started telling her about wedding plans she'd already been making. Throughout the whole thing, Ella couldn't figure out why they felt the need to even talk to her, let alone to this extent. She could only guess that Eddie had told Penelope something about their shared history. How much of it was truth and how much fabrication?

She let out a great sigh of relief when they left, rising from her booth to head back into the kitchen in search of Helen. Sally had put her to work overseeing the chopping of the vegetables that they'd need throughout the day, and she seemed to have pulled herself together, for the most part. Her curly brown hair was as disheveled as ever, and her face seemed a bit pale as she methodically waved her wand so the diced vegetables flew into their respective pans.

"You alright?" Ella asked, her tone quiet so as not to be overheard by Sally. Helen gave a jerky nod.

"It was just a shock," she said timidly. "Are they gone?"

Ella nodded and Helen gave a sigh of relief, but she knew she had to tell her. "They're engaged."

Helen paused in her movements, but only momentarily. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she took a shaky breath and continued in her task. Ella was at a loss for what to do. This was all her fault to begin with.

"It's fine," Helen said. "I'm moving on. I hope he's happy."

Ella watched her skeptically, and she received a sad smile. "Really, Miss Ella," Helen assured her. "I don't want you to worry. I'll be alright."

With that less than reassuring sentiment, Helen went back out to wait on their morning customers, leaving Ella feeling no less disheartened than she had been the moment she first saw Helen's miserable face that morning. What a horrible mess that wasn't anyone's fault but her own. She could only hope that Eddie and Penelope wouldn't make stopping by the inn a habit.

"Hey, you okay?"

Ella turned to face the door, a warm smile appearing on her face when she took in the look of concern James wore, his head poking through the kitchen door.

"You're not supposed to be back here," she said in an attempt at a teasing tone, but he didn't smile or listen to her admonishment, choosing to come fully into the kitchen instead.

"I was looking out my window and saw them leaving the pub," he clarified. "What did they want?"

Ella let out a sigh as James came to a stop in front of her, his hands in his trouser pockets. "Probably just wanted to flaunt their _happy_ relationship and her _gorgeous_ diamond ring," she said, mocking the way Penelope talked and watching James' eyes widen in surprise.

"They're engaged?" he asked in astonishment. Ella nodded morosely.

"Yes, and Helen says she's fine, but I can't help feeling horrible. This whole thing is my fault."

She felt foolish as tears began to gather in her eyes, and she did her best to hide it from James. But she should've known better than to try and hide anything from him. He'd always been able to read her like a book. Ella found herself pulled into a comforting hug a moment later, and she gratefully relaxed into his familiar embrace.

"You're doing your best, Ella," he said in a soothing voice, barely discernible over the sound of Sally preparing various dishes of food, pots and pans clanging around as she seamlessly did her job.

"I wouldn't have to if I hadn't royally mucked it all up in the first place," she mumbled into his chest. She felt him chuckle as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"True, but I think you've learned a lot, so that's something to be thankful for."

Ella leaned back so she could look him in the eye. Something seemed off.

"Since when are you all 'look on the bright side?'" she asked skeptically.

"Am I not normally?" asked James, his hands now moving to rest on her waist.

"No," said Ella, not even having to think about her response. "I always saw you as more of a 'glass half empty' sort of bloke. You're telling me I've been wrong about you all these years?"

James gave a shrug, removing his hands from her waist and shoving them back in his pockets. Ella immediately felt cold at the loss of warmth his closeness had been providing.

"Maybe I just have a better perspective now," he said vaguely, his gaze wandering around the room.

"How come?" asked Ella, her curiosity piqued at his less than forthcoming attitude.

"Dunno," he said with another shrug, his eyes meeting hers once again. "Maybe I've just started realizing some things. Figuring out what's important."

Ella stared blankly at James. There was a slight smile on his face, but there was also a nervous quality to him. She stepped back and scrutinized him, her arms crossed as he nervously rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"What's going on?"

James hesitated for one moment before he opened his mouth to respond, but they were rather abruptly interrupted by the sound of something crashing to the ground, closely followed by Cassie coming through the door.

"Oh," she said, pausing and looking between the two as Sally yelled her apologies for the racket. "Sorry, am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," James assured her with a kind smile. Cassie returned it before informing him that there was a Floo call alert from his room. He thanked her and followed her out of the kitchen, not even pausing to look at Ella let alone say anything to her. And a thought that she'd been vehemently denying for weeks reared its ugly head as she thought of James' new positive outlook, the way he'd just smiled at Cassie, and everything that he'd done during the music night.

As much as she couldn't bring herself to believe it, there was a very real possibility that James Potter was falling in love.

* * *

 **A/N: So it was fun to see all the reactions to my last chapter, and I'm sure there will be similar ones to this one. I really don't want to just tell you what happens, but don't give up if! Especially if the two people you want together don't seem to be heading that direction. Patience! This could probably be classified as a slow burn. Also, just to give you a timeline, there are 21 chapters written plus an epilogue and the prologue. So we are close to halfway through!**

 **Thoughts on our new character? On Scorpius leaving? You know the drill!**


	11. The Denying Suitor

Much to Ella's displeasure, Penelope Jenkins seemed to have taken it upon herself to completely permeate Ella's life. Not only was she stopping by the inn for coffee or tea most mornings, but she also went out of her way to talk to Ella and even attempt to invade her social circle.

She treated James like he was an old friend - which he handled with more grace than Ella would have - and there was something condescending in her treatment of Anne. She was a bit patronizing towards Matt, but seemed to like Cassie and Gina well enough, as well as Lily, who'd finished the first draft of her book and was back in London and staying at the Leaky Cauldron. Hugo, who was thoroughly annoyed by the whole thing and had never liked the girl, was treated with disdain, as his disapproval was obvious. While she barely had a glance to spare Helen, Penelope's behavior towards Rose, no matter how friendly it might seem, was almost the worst of all.

"You _really_ should make more of an effort, dear," she said to Rose one day when they were both at the Leaky Cauldron during the first week of March. Ella had been making more of an effort to be friendly to Rose, and they'd been having lunch when Penelope had sauntered in, barely wasting a moment before sliding into the booth next to Rose.

"You have such _beautiful_ features," Penelope continued. "If only you just used the right products, I _know_ you'd be thrilled with the results."

Rose did her best to give a polite smile, and she actually managed to pull it off quite well as Penelope continued, going on about some line of products that her sister swore by and offering to look into getting some for Rose.

"Oh, please don't trouble yourself," Rose finally spoke up when Penelope nearly insisted on writing to her sister. "I'm fine using what I have."

"Nonsense," Penelope said with a scoff. "It'll only do you good."

"Really, I'd rather you didn't," said Rose, a bit more forceful than before. Ella sighed in relief when Penelope seemed to let it go with a roll of her eyes, but then she moved onto complaining about how boring things were in London, especially compared to the last year she'd spent in Rome, not to mention her most recent trip.

"I'm trying to talk Eddie into at least getting a summer home there, but he's being a bore about it," she complained.

"Well, his whole family is here," Rose pointed out, always doing her best to give people the benefit of the doubt. "Maybe he doesn't like the idea of being away for so long."

"I _suppose_ ," Penelope said begrudgingly, "but there's not a whole lot else London has to offer. Not in the way of good society at least."

Good society? Who did she think she was, the bloody queen?

"You should _really_ stay in France permanently, Rose," Penelope continued. "There are _much_ better opportunities to socialize there."

"Have you been before?" Ella couldn't help asking.

"Oh yes," Penelope said proudly. "I have a brother that works for the Ministry there. You know," she continued excitedly as she returned her attention to Rose, "if you were ever looking to find new work, I'm sure he'd be _more_ than happy to help with that. He's the Head of the Muggle Liaison office, so it still has a lot to do with people and relations and things like that. I bet he could get you something better than you have now. All it would take is a good word from me."

"That's a very generous offer," said Rose graciously, "but I'm not even sure I want to go back to France yet."

This was news to Ella. Then again, she'd always just assumed Rose was only in town until the work she had to do was done. She'd never even asked if she had plans to the contrary.

"Well, if you do decide to leave, which I _highly_ recommend," Penelope persisted, "I insist on you letting me at least set up an interview with Patrick. He simply _dotes_ on me, so he'd definitely be happy to do it."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," Rose said quickly, still managing to keep her composure. "Ella, this was lovely, but I need to be getting back to work."

Her expression was a bit apologetic as she stood to leave, and Ella did her best to assure her that she'd had a lovely time and was looking forward to an opportunity when they could do it again.

Any hope Rose had of throwing off Penelope, however, was short lived. She and Ella had only just finished their farewells when Penelope said that she needed to pop by the Ministry and see her father, so why not head over with Rose? The strained smile Rose wore as they made their way out of the pub left Ella feeling nothing but pity for Rose. She had such a sweet disposition and a deep desire to never offend anyone, that she was in danger of never being able to escape Penelope Jenkins.

"You look exhausted for it only being halfway through the day," James commented as he slid into the booth across from her a few moments later.

"What are you doing here?" Ella asked in confusion. "Don't you have training?"

"They're using the pitch for the reserves today," he explained as he pulled her unfinished plate of fish and chips towards him. "We get the day off."

"Where were you this morning?" she asked curiously, noting he'd just come in from the cold and obviously having missed his presence in town before now.

"I met someone for breakfast," he explained, "and then I went to visit Mum at work for a bit."

"Who'd you have breakfast with?"

"You're awfully curious today," he said evasively, finishing off her chips as he smirked at her. He knew full well that his lack of communication about where he'd been that morning would only irritate her.

"Fine, be secretive," she said in annoyance. "At least you're better company than what I've had to deal with today."

James let out a snort of laughter at the look of disgust she wore. "Penelope again?"

"Who else?" she said with a roll of her eyes. She grabbed her now empty plate along with Rose's and stood to take them back to the kitchen. "She's everywhere, and I can't for the life of me figure out why she insists on forcing her presence on me. Especially when she makes it very clear I'm not 'good society'. And you should have heard what she was saying to Rose today."

"Rose was here?" James asked as he followed her to the bar, obviously surprised by this news.

"We had lunch together," Ella explained. "Aren't you proud of me?"

"Very," James said with a chuckle at Ella's proud smirk. "What was Peneloping saying to Rose?"

"Oh, right," said Ella, a pinched expression forming on her face at the reminder of recent events. She set the plates on the bar before pulling out her wand and sending them to the nearest bin full of used dishes. "She was just going on about how much better Rose would look if she used certain beauty products, and then went on to tell her that she'd best return to France rather than stay here where there isn't any type of quality socializing."

Ella scoffed and rolled her eyes as she moved behind the bar and grabbed an apron from the hook by the kitchen door. "She does nothing but talk down to and about everyone and everything that isn't a result of her connections or efforts. By the way," she said as a sudden thought struck her and she turned to face James, "does she even do anything with her life? Other than travel to much more appealing places and bother everyone else with her opinions?"

James chuckled as Ella looked at him expectantly, her hands on her hips and her demeanor defiant. "She was telling me the other day that she's been doing work for the Finnigans. Bookkeeping and stuff like that."

Ella gave an annoyed huff, coming to stand in front of James and leaning against the bar. "At least she's not one of those people who can afford to not work. I don't think I could bare it if she lived off the family money."

James nodded in sympathy as he sat on one of the stools. He hadn't said much against Penelope. He never really did if he knew it would only egg Ella on. But she could tell he was just as displeased with her as she was. The fact that he never had anything good to say about her either was proof of that.

"You know what you need?" he said with a conspiratorial tone.

"A party?" Ella pouted, thinking of the party she'd missed out on when Scorpius left.

"No," James said patiently, knowing full well where her mind had gone. "A trip."

The idea struck Ella and she perked up, but only momentarily. As much as she would love to get away, she didn't think it was possible.

"That sounds wonderful, James, but you know I can't just leave the inn," she said sorrowfully. "And my father has always hated the idea of us traveling very far."

"How about a day trip?" he suggested. "There has to be somewhere we could go that's close by and you've never been to."

"James, I've never been _anywhere_ ," she said bluntly. "And unless we find someone that can make sure things run smoothly here, I don't see what point there is in discussing this."

"Are you seriously telling me you can't leave for a day?" James asked incredulously. "You take days off all the time."

"Of course I do," said Ella with a roll of her eyes, "but I've never just disappeared for a whole day. I've always at least checked in and been available. I just don't think there's anyone I trust to make sure the place doesn't burn down."

"I could do it."

Ella turned to see Cassie standing over by the cash register, apparently having heard at least the last part of the conversation.

"Brilliant!" James said enthusiastically before Ella could respond. "She's more than capable, right?"

Ella looked back and forth between the two, flustered by what had just happened.

"Are you planning a trip somewhere?" Cassie asked, moving over to stand behind the bar next to Ella.

"That's the idea," said James. "If we can just get her to agree to leaving her beloved inn for a day."

Ella hesitated, realizing she was running out of excuses and finding she didn't really want to continue making them.

"My dad-"

"I'll talk to Neville," James cut in. "We can get a group together and go on a Saturday once it gets a little nicer out. I'll look into places we could go."

Ella smiled, finally allowing herself to grow excited at the prospect.

"Alright, I'm in," she said, and James grinned brilliantly at her. "But we only invite people we like, alright?"

James chuckled as Cassie walked away to tend to a customer. "Deal. I'll let you pick who comes."

Ella smiled appreciatively as James asked for a cup of coffee. Her mind wandered to who all she'd like to invite as she prepared his drink, and a thought struck her as she placed the steaming mug in front of him.

"You seemed awfully in favor of letting Cassie cover for me," she began, knowing she needed to tread lightly if she was to get any information out of her friend.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked curiously, stirring a few drops of cream into his coffee.

"Well," Ella began slowly, knowing her innocent expression wasn't going to fool him, "I just thought you'd much prefer it if she were to accompany us rather than stay behind."

She watched him closely as he took a long drink of his coffee. He set it back on the bar before responding.

"Why would you think that?" he asked, his expression giving nothing away and even appearing convincingly innocent.

"No reason," Ella said airily. "I just couldn't help but notice that you've been paying quite a bit of attention to her lately. You've had me worried that maybe you _do_ have at least one romantic bone in your body."

Ella watched closely as her words sunk in, nervous for how he'd react to her insinuation. James stared at her curiously for a moment before his eyebrows rose in amusement and he chuckled.

"Seriously?" he asked incredulously. "You too?"

"What?" Ella asked in confusion, thrown by his reaction.

"It's just that Anne hinted at something similar the other day," he explained, a knowing look growing on his face a moment later. "Wait, the two of you have talked about this already, haven't you?"

"I don't know," Ella said childishly, distracting herself by putting away some of the clean glasses that Helen had brought out earlier. James chuckled again and she saw him take another sip of his coffee out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry to break your poor matchmaking heart," James drawled, obviously not sorry at all, "but you're wrong on this one."

"Really?" Ella asked, stopping in her task and turning to face him, unsure why she was suddenly feeling an extreme amount of relief and doing her best to mask it.

"Really," he assured her. "It hadn't even crossed my mind before Anne said something to me about it."

"So, you don't fancy her?" Ella clarified, moving to lean on the bar across from him again.

"No," he said succinctly. "And Lily would probably kill me if I did. I like her as a person, but it would never work. Not to mention there's no way she'd ever be interested in me."

"What makes you say that?" Ella asked curiously. James was one of the most eligible bachelors in the wizarding world, and the most unattainable. It would surprise her if any witch ever turned him down if he were to show interest.

"I just know," he said with a shrug. This only served to infuriate Ella.

"What's with all the secrets lately? First you have breakfast with someone and you won't tell me who, and now you know all these secrets about Cassie? You've always told me everything."

"As far as you know," James pointed out.

Ella pouted, causing James to chuckle at her displeasure.

"Well, perhaps you can tell me this," said Ella, relenting on the topic in favor of another she was almost as equally curious about. "Has Rose said anything to you about wanting to stay in town?"

"What, like, long term?"

Ella nodded, a contemplative look crossing James' face before he shook his head. "No, I don't think so. She hasn't exactly been upfront about when she's leaving, but then I always assumed that was because her work is so up in the air. Did she say something to make you think she was staying?"

"She said she wasn't sure she was even going back to France when Penelope offered to connect her with her Ministry connected brother over there," said Ella, the last part coming out with obvious disgust.

"Huh," James said curiously. "Well, I haven't heard anything about that, and I just saw Aunt Hermione yesterday, so I doubt she knows either. She would have been too excited about the prospect not to tell me."

"Interesting," said Ella, truly finding the development intriguing.

"Maybe she was just trying to throw Penelope off," James suggested before finishing off his coffee.

"Maybe," Ella agreed, but she couldn't help thinking there was more to it than that. There had to be a reason she wanted to stay. Or maybe a reason she didn't want to go back. Like maybe a certain cousin's fiancé she was trying to avoid. She'd have to remember to run the idea by Scorpius when he came back.

"So," James said, pulling her out of her musings, "any ideas of where you'd like to go?"

Ella thought about this for a moment, wanting to truly give the matter some thought. It wasn't often she actually got to leave the inn. The last time she remembered going much of anywhere was when James first had everyone out to his home in Tutshill when Anne was still running the inn. It was probably just about the furthest away from home she'd ever been, except for Hogwarts.

"I'd like to go someplace with a view," she settled on. "Preferably around water, as well," she added.

"Alright, I think we can do that," James said with a grin. "We should make another trip out to Tutshill as well. You haven't been since that first time, and I know Rose would like to come see the place. Maybe we can actually do an overnight trip."

"Sounds great," Ella agreed. "But don't go forgetting our plans to go somewhere new and exciting in favor of your boring old house."

"My house isn't old or boring," James said indignantly, causing Ella to laugh.

"Not when I show up it won't be," she said with a smirk. "There is a reason you spend more time here than there after all."

James rolled his eyes at her as he grabbed the pot of coffee she'd had left on the bar.

"We'll have to wait till Scorpius comes back," said Ella. "Part of the reason he wanted to throw a party was because he claims we never do anything fun around here. We need to show him how mistaken he is. Even if all we do is visit your boring old house."

She was smirking at James, but then she caught a glimpse of what she could of sworn was disappointment cross his face. It was gone almost before she could be sure she'd seen it, and then he was nodding and agreeing to her request, a small smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Ella was distracted from any thoughts about what could have been running through James' mind when the door to the pub opened and Anne rushed in, obviously having hurried to get there. She had what looked like a letter clutched tightly in her had as her eyes quickly found Ella. She hurried up to the bar.

"You'll never guess what's happened," she said a bit breathlessly, not even waiting for Ella to respond before continuing. "Scorpius' aunt and uncle are setting up at a house in England. Since Scorpius did such a wonderful job building a client base during his time here, his uncle made him a partner! They're coming to set up a branch of the practice here so he can continue his work in London, and his aunt's health isn't all that well, so they'll be settling in Brighton for the time being so she can be close to clearer air. They were going to have to leave Lyon anyway for that reason, so it all works out perfectly. Scorpius will be coming back on a much more permanent basis. His aunt can't keep him away now."

Ella smiled widely, holding back a squeal of delight as Anne handed over the letter for her to read.

"That's fantastic, Anne!" she gushed, hardly able to see clearly as she tried to make out whatever he'd written to his step-mother. "Draco must be thrilled."

Anne assured her that he was before telling both Ella and James that he was expected the following week, his aunt and uncle coming to set up in their new house in the spring after taking care of a few business related items in France.

"Looks like all your exciting plans won't have to wait much longer," James said with a small smile as he took a sip of his coffee. Ella just continued grinning, a thousand thoughts and emotions running through her.

She'd almost forgotten about the last conversation she'd had with Scorpius before he left, what with the distraction that Penelope Jenkins had brought to her life. Did he still have feelings for her? If that was in fact what he'd been trying to tell her before he left. How would he act when he next saw her?

And, most importantly, how did Ella feel about him?

* * *

 **A/N: Wow. This whole chapter is one scene. That doesn't happen often. Hope you enjoyed all the James and Ella! I sure did. Next chapter sees the return of Scorpius and the long awaited party. A chapter I particularly enjoyed writing. But before we get to that, let me know how you liked this chapter! Your reviews every week are awesome and keep me going. Any thoughts on what type of secrets James may or may not be keeping?**


	12. The Reluctant Dancer

**A/N: So I imagine the wizarding world to be a little behind on current music. With that said, I pictured the first song to be _Come On Eileen_ by the Dexy's Midnight Runners, followed by _I Wanna Dance With Somebody_ by Whitney Houston, and then the slow song at the end as one of my favorites, _Take it to the Limit_ by the Eagles. Listening to these while reading, if that is something you like to do, could be quite enjoyable. If you picture other music, let me know in the reviews! I'd love to hear what you come up with and I'm always interested in the types of music people like. If you can't tell, I'm an oldies girl. **

**I won't bother you again at the bottom, so enjoy, and please leave those lovely reviews! They truly do inspire me and make my day.**

* * *

In his letter to Anne informing her of his return, Scorpius had requested that they have the party as soon as possible. He'd be getting in late the following Friday night, and the party was planned for the Saturday evening after that. To say Ella was nervous for that particular evening would be an understatement.

She did everything she could not to let it show. It helped distract her that Helen had come out of the stupor she'd fallen into since Penelope had arrived in town, thanks to the excitement of a party.

"I'm just thankful I actually get to go to this one," Helen said enthusiastically. "I haven't danced in ages and it'll be so wonderful to just have a fun night out. I haven't done that since I came back to London after traveling this past summer."

Ella was grateful that the unspoken references to incidents and circumstances involving both Eddie and Lorcan didn't affect Helen at all.

"I'm not sure I've ever spent an evening dancing," said Ella with a delighted chuckle. "With the exception of the weddings I've gone to."

"Don't let her fool you," Anne had said during this particular conversation. "She's a lovely dancer, despite her supposed lack of experience."

Ella had helped Anne make sure all of their original plans were set back in place, and she and Helen went over early to help make sure everything was ready the night of the party.

Her nerves were going haywire with anticipation. She'd been waiting for this night to get here for almost a month now, and the thought of seeing Scorpius again had her on edge. It had been impossible for her to decipher what all of the anxiety she'd been feeling in the week leading up to his return actually meant. She had a strong feeling that she didn't care for him quite as much as she had previously thought. While she'd thought of him often since he'd been away, it wasn't in the way she'd expected to if she were falling in love with him. And wasn't absence supposed to make the heart grow fonder? Either way, she knew that she'd know for certain how she felt as soon as she saw him. She was simultaneously dreading the moment and waiting for it impatiently.

The Emerald Inn looked completely different from when they'd been there for the Christmas party. The rugs had been transfigured to look more modern and arranged so that there was now a square of hardwood floor in the middle of the room where the dancing would take place. The lighting was darker, more the mood of what Ella expected a Muggle nightclub would look like, and she knew that lights would begin moving across the dance floor once the music started. Finger foods were set up at a long table along a wall on one side of the room, and high top tables filled out the other side by the fire with plenty of room for people to still walk around among them.

"This looks incredible," Helen said, peeking into the room as they took off their coats. After hanging them up, they quickly found Anne as they fully entered the great room. Ella glanced around nervously, relaxing marginally when she saw no sign of Scorpius.

"Scorpius is upstairs finalizing the music," Anne explained as she led them over to the table of food. They'd brought over their contributions to the evening, which were a few platters of Sally's well known and loved bite sized cornish pasties. "He's got that Muggle, electronic based contraption you two bought all hooked up. I didn't even know Freddie made stuff like that before Scorpius brought it home."

"I'm excited to actually see it used," Ella said eagerly. She knew that the Weasleys had begun to journey into the world of Muggle culture and gadgets, but she'd never seen any of it in action. James had told her that Fred was planning on opening his own shop one of these days to sell his own products exclusively.

"You're just in time, then!" she heard a familiar voice call, accompanied by the sound of someone hurrying down the stairs that led to the guest rooms. Ella took a moment to pause and collect herself, taking a deep breath before turning to face Scorpius.

He was dressed on the more casual side in dark jeans and a button up collared shirt that was light blue. The sleeves were rolled to just below his elbows, and he was carrying a black square that was roughly the size of a dinner plate and Ella knew was what you used to control the music and lights. He was smiling brightly as he reached them, immediately beginning to show them what the gadget did, calling it the "control panel." Ella was hardly paying attention to what he was saying, deciding to focus more on how she was physically and emotionally reacting to Scorpius' presence.

She was pleased to see him, she knew that much. There was a certain amount of joy that swept through her the moment he appeared, but it didn't feel different to how she felt when she saw the other people in her life that she cared about. Was there anything special about her connection to Scorpius?

She didn't think so. And she also noted that he didn't seem to be paying her the type of attention she would expect from someone who was in love with her.

"Helen, would you help me put out the last few things on the buffet table?" Anne asked, shooting Ella a knowing look that made her nervous once again before she walked off with Helen. Ella looked at Scorpius as he shut off the control panel and set it on a table by the entrance next to a black box that Ella knew music would soon be pouring out off. He came to stand next to her with a mischievous smile plastered across his face.

"I hear there's a new couple in town that's been making your life hell," he said with a smirk. Ella laughed, immediately feeling more at ease by his choice of topic. There was no declaration of how much he'd missed her. No obvious appreciation of the outfit she'd chosen to wear. Nothing to make her think he thought of her as anything more than a friend. Relief filled her at this conclusion.

"They're both positively dreadful," Ella assured him. "It's a pity they managed to snag an invitation for tonight. I suppose that's our fault for allowing people to invite their friends. I'll never understand how Roxanne can stand her."

Scorpius chuckled appreciatively, glancing around the room in an almost agitated fashion. "I'm actually excited to meet them, especially after hearing such entertaining stories from Anne about what appears to be your rather fervent mutual dislike."

"Yes, well, she's not here yet, thank Merlin," Ella said with a sigh, noting that a few people had arrived without her noticing. She waved happily at Lily and a young wizard she didn't know who appeared to be her date.

As more people began to arrive, Ella did her duties as co-host of the evening, pleasantly greeting those who crossed her path. She held in a laugh when Penelope and Eddie arrived, the former immediately approaching Scorpius, gushing that she'd heard _wonderful_ things about him and how _pleased_ she was to finally meet him and that they simply _must_ get to know each other better as they _obviously_ had so much in common, having spent _so_ much time abroad and around more _interesting_ people.

Not that she used those words exactly, but it's what Ella heard.

"Good God, you were right," Scorpius said to her as soon as the newly engaged couple had continued into the party, though not without Eddie first shaking his hand rather forcefully and saying much the same as his fiance about getting to know him better. "They think quite a lot of themselves, don't they?"

"I sometimes wonder if they think of anything else," Ella said, letting out a snort of laughter, both of them trying to compose themselves as James arrived.

"Have you had too much already?" he asked playfully, stepping forward and giving her a kiss on the cheek in greeting before shaking hands with Scorpius.

"I haven't touched a drop," Ella assured him, noting that he was as well dressed as Scorpius. She couldn't help telling him that he looked nice.

"As do you," he said, looking her up and down. She laughed and gave him a playful turn. "Is that new?"

"It is, actually," she said, looking down at the dress she'd bought for the occasion and surprisingly pleased that he'd actually noticed. It was a dark purple color in a classic A-line style, falling a few inches above her knees. Her favorite part had been the bodice, which was almost like a fitted V-neck T-shirt, giving the dress a more casual look that fit the evening. She'd kept her hair pulled half back, like she did most days, though she'd taken the time to curl it.

"He's quite the charming host," said James, nodding towards Scorpius as he welcomed Rose and her cousins Molly and Lucy to the party.

"He does alright," said Ella, unable to do anything but smile, no matter what comments James might make. "You plan on dancing at all this evening?"

"Not if I can help it," he said with a smile. Ella rolled her eyes at his predictability.

"Do you even know the meaning of the word 'fun'?" she asked teasingly. James shrugged and smirked at her.

"Only when it comes to Quidditch."

Ella laughed and James joined in, her good humor rubbing off on him. They were interrupted a moment later when Cassie walked in.

She was dressed in jeans and a flowery top that was made of a thin material and seemed to almost flutter when she moved. Her blonde curls were in a plait down her back, revealing her striking cheekbones and pale blue eyes. Despite how lovely she looked, Ella couldn't help feeling like this was the last place Cassie wanted to be.

"You made it!" James said enthusiastically, and Cassie immediately came to his side.

"I don't know why," she said with a scowl. "You know that I'm still not ready-"

"Let's grab some food and find Lily," James said abruptly, grabbing Cassie by the hand and dragging her rather quickly towards the buffet, leaving Ella to watch after them in shock. If James hadn't told her only a week ago that there was nothing going on between him and Cassie, she would have taken this as further proof that there was. Now, however, she had no clue what to make of his odd behavior.

She made her way over towards Scorpius, who was staring a bit dazedly into the crowd of people forming in the inn. Ella followed his gaze and realized he was looking in the direction of where Rose was now talking to Helen.

"Finally stunned by the beauty of Rose Weasley, are you?" she asked with a teasing smirk. Scorpius gave a start, blinking rapidly as he looked down at her. He recovered quickly and chuckled.

"No, I was merely stunned by the fact that she chose to wear her hair that way," Scorpius said in an undertone. Ella stifled a giggle.

"It doesn't look that different from normal," she commented.

"Exactly," said Scorpius with a snigger. Ella smacked him lightly on the chest.

"You're horrible. But that reminds me. Guess who might not be moving back to France?"

"Really?" said Scorpius, surprise clearly written across his face. "She said that? I'm intrigued."

"So am I. In fact, I couldn't help wondering that she wants to keep herself safely away from the presence of a certain cousin's fiancé?"

Scorpius' eyes widened in delight as he grinned. "Oh, you are evil, aren't you? Shall we ask her about it?"

"Merlin, no," Ella said with a scandalized laugh. "Rose might not be my favorite person, but I don't want to go out of my way to embarrass her."

"But it's just so tempting," he said with a smirk, flicking his wand so the music began playing and the lights began to move. "What do you say we get this thing started?"

Ella smiled, nodding enthusiastically as she took in the crowd of people that had gathered.

As soon as the music started playing, the response was immediate. The dance floor was almost full by the time Scorpius had pulled Ella onto it, everyone excited to take advantage of a night where they could let loose. Ella laughed as Scorpius spun her around. It felt wonderful to move across the dance floor. She was enjoying herself immensely and loving seeing so many of her friends doing the same.

Lily had lost her date and was now dancing with Hugo and Lucy; Roxanne was practically hanging off of a young wizard, though he didn't seem to mind too much; even Rose was letting loose as she clapped to the beat and danced with Freddie and Louis. Matt was out there, dancing with a girl she recognized as one of his friends from mediwizard training, though he was having a hard time not watching Lily. She knew James wouldn't be on the dance floor, so she didn't even bother to look for him. He was probably off wherever Cassie was.

The one person she had expected to see on the dance floor and couldn't seem to find was Helen.

She kept her eyes open for her as she and Scorpius continued to revel in the frivolous atmosphere, and she finally found her towards the end of the second song. The sight nearly broke her heart.

Helen was standing by the bar, a drink clasped tightly in her hand as she looked at the floor dejectedly. Penelope and Eddie were dancing in a way that left no questions as to the nature of their relationship, and they were currently right on the edge of the dance floor, directly in front of Helen.

Ella could almost convince herself that they weren't aware of what they were doing, but then she saw Penelope throw her long brown hair over her shoulder, a smirk on her face as her eyes landed on Helen. There was no denying that Penelope knew exactly what effect she was having on the poor girl by the bar.

Rage boiled in Ella as she continued dancing with Scorpius, who hadn't noticed anything was wrong and continued to twirl her around. How could someone be that cruel? Helen didn't even pose a threat to Penelope. Eddie hadn't actually been interested in her. What good did it do anyone for her to so obviously stake her claim like that?

Right when Ella didn't think the situation could get any worse, she saw Penelope lean into Eddie and whisper in his ear. The young wizard threw his head back in laughter before he directed his gaze towards Helen, just as she looked up at them. He smirked and shook his head before looking back at his fiancé, whispering something to her that made her respond with a giggle.

Ella felt sick. How could she possibly have ever thought that someone like Eddie Finnigan would ever be good enough for Helen Smith?

She lost sight of her friend for a few moments as Scorpius pulled her in the other direction. By the time she was within sight of the bar again, Helen was gone, and Ella felt her chest tighten with grief, assuming her friend had fled from the room.

But then her eyes landed on one of the most beautiful sights she'd ever seen, and she almost cried in relief.

James had pulled Helen onto the dance floor, and the young witch was now positively beaming as he twirled her around. Ella laughed in delight to see James doing something she knew was out of his comfort zone, all for the sake of a young girl who'd been shoved aside by people who didn't even deserve for her to care about what they thought of her. It also struck her that, despite his protests, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

Knowing her friend was now extremely well cared for, Ella continued dancing without a care in the world. She spent the next song surrounded by Weasleys as she was accosted by Hugo and Louis, who took turns flinging her around the dance floor. At one point, she even found Helen in the crowd of people, James having disappeared awhile ago by then. She lost track of Scorpius a few times, but he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself as well. The music slowed down on occasion, and she spent one dance in Scorpius' arms, and another in Hugo's. She welcomed the break in the music that occurred after roughly an hour of continuous dancing.

"They look rightfully bored, don't they?"

Ella turned and smiled at James as he approached her at the bar, a plate of food in his hand as he nodded towards the far corner of the room. Penelope and Eddie were standing over there, both with drinks in their hands and no one attempting to engage them in conversation.

"Serves them right," said Ella with a laugh. "I can't believe I actually thought he was a decent bloke before."

"Well," James drew out as he leaned against the bar next to her, "I will say that you definitely have better taste than he does. It would have served him far better to go with your choice for him instead of his own."

They both looked over at Helen, who was laughing delightedly as she talked to Scorpius and Rose.

"She's a sweet girl," Ella said with a sigh, grateful that Helen was enjoying herself. "Thank you," she said sincerely, turning to face James fully, "for doing what you did. I know it did Helen a world of good."

"It was my pleasure, honestly," he said with a sincere smile, looking down at her with his warm hazel eyes. "I know I've already gotten to know her a bit these past few months, but she really is lovely. I actually enjoyed myself."

A mock look of shock grew on Ella's face at his words. "James Potter, are you telling me you actually enjoyed dancing? With a girl?"

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Alert the press why don't you."

Ella chuckled, shaking her head at him in amusement. "You're not going to be able to get away with avoiding it quite so easily anymore. It'll be hard to forget that you're actually a good dancer."

James' brow rose in surprise. "Was that a compliment?"

"Maybe," Ella said with a chuckle. "I can't be too sure I was seeing things correctly, though. I might just have to see how good you are for myself."

James chuckled at her challenging smirk, taking a step closer so he could speak in a softer tone. "Are you asking me to dance with you, Ella Longbottom?" he asked, unable to keep an amused smile off his face, his eyes sparkling with delight.

"I'd much prefer it if you asked me," she responded with a grin. "It would be more of a victory if you actually came willingly."

James chuckled, setting his plate of food on the bar and extending his hand to her just as the music kicked back on again, the tune slow and familiar.

"It would be my greatest pleasure, dear Ella," he said in a serious tone, "if you'd do me the honor of a dance."

Ella smiled brightly, joy flowing through her as she slipped her hand into his, his touch more warm and familiar than she'd been expecting.

"On the contrary," she said, stepping closer to him, "it would be _my_ honor, dear James."

His smile nearly took her breath away, and then he was leading her onto the dance floor. Ella fit easily into his arms, one hand grasped in his and the other resting on his shoulder. He placed a hand delicately on her waist, standing with enough space between them to still be considered appropriate, but close enough that she had to look up a bit to be able to look him in the eye.

They swayed slowly to the music, James leading her easily across the dance floor. Silence fell between them, a comfortable one where Ella felt like nothing needed to be said. She felt perfectly content to be held in his arms and forget about everyone and everything else as she moved closer and rested her head against his chest. His heart was beating a steady rhythm against her cheek, and she couldn't help wondering momentarily if it was beating faster than normal.

Her gaze drifted around the dance floor as she and James slowly rotated. Helen was chatting off to the side with Lucy and Molly Weasley, and Hugo and Louis were each dancing with girls Ella knew them to be friends with, but Matt was standing rather moodily by the bar, a sour look on his face as he watched Lily dancing with her date. Ella had learned earlier that his name was David Fawley. He had soft brown hair that fell in waves just past his chin, and high cheekbones that drew attention to his deep brown eyes. Lily almost seemed to be talking him down as he glared harshly towards the door, obviously upset about something. She'd have to ask James about that one later.

What surprised her the most was to see Rose dancing with Scorpius. She supposed they were friendly with each other, even though she knew Scorpius wasn't as impressed by Rose Weasley as everyone else seemed to be, but she hadn't expected to find them dancing together. They were talking, and it struck Ella that he might be trying to use this opportunity to ask about Dominique's fiancé. She did her best to stifle a giggle at the thought.

"What's so funny?" James asked, obviously having caught on to her amused state.

"It's nothing," she said, having no intention of sharing those particular thoughts with James and pulling back so she could look into his face. "I'm just happy. Tonight's been wonderful."

"You deserve a wonderful night," James said sincerely, pulling her closer so his hand rested on her back instead of her waist. Ella ignored the way she felt her heart speed up for a moment, focusing instead on the novelty that was James' presence on the dance floor.

"Wasn't it only a few years ago that you flat out refused to dance with anyone?" she asked, a sparkle of amusement in her eyes. "Is this part of your whole new brighter outlook on life? The whole realizing what's important thing?"

"Maybe," he said with a shrug, refraining from saying anything else on the subject. He was slowly becoming a tougher nut to crack, but she was determined to keep chipping away at all the walls he continued to build up.

"I think I just finally wore you down," she teased. "It's impossible to say no to me forever."

She chuckled as he cracked a warm, genuine smile, not even attempting to argue with her. Warmth filled Ella, knowing she was the cause of his joy. Even if she wouldn't even fully admit it to herself, Ella found that she'd be perfectly content if she were allowed to stay there with James for the remainder of the evening, and something like remorse and disappointment swept through her the moment the song ended and he was no longer holding her in his arms


	13. The Determined Lover

It was with a peaceful melancholy that Ella faced the day following the party. She didn't have to work, and so spent the morning reading in her flat, occasionally glancing out at what was sure to be the last snowfall of the season.

As much as she loved the snow, Ella was looking forward to the warmer days of spring more than she ever had before. The promise it brought of getting away from the city and enjoying a break from everyday life was something she craved.

Spending the night dancing and laughing felt like a tease. The idea that James had planted in her head about traveling somewhere for a day had taken an even greater hold in her mind. She was beginning to realize more and more just how much time she spent doing nothing but seeing to the inn. A change of pace, even if it was just for a day, was desperately needed.

Ella wandered downstairs at lunch time, walking dreamily around the pub as the music from the night before ran through her mind. She couldn't remember a time when she'd enjoyed herself more thoroughly. Spending a night the way normal people her age did and being able to do it with most of the people she cared about had been a dream. If only Al and Sarah had been there, it would have been the perfect evening. As it was, her sister and brother-in-law weren't due for another visit until May. Maybe they'd throw another party when they came. Give her father and the Potters a chance to spend the evening with their grandchildren and give Al and Sarah a night off.

After requesting an order of shepherd's pie from Sally, Ella strolled over towards the piano, sitting on the bench and plunking out a few notes, something reminiscent of one of the slower songs that she'd danced to at the party.

She was pulled quite suddenly from her calm reverie by the door to the pub bursting open and a huddled mass making its way through. It wasn't until Ella stood and moved closer that she realized it was Helen and Scorpius, the latter holding up the rather pale looking former.

"What happened?" Ella asked shrilly, trying not to panic as Scorpius led Helen to the nearest unoccupied table. The few patrons of the pub were watching curiously, a couple with concerned expressions. Ella called out for Gina to bring a glass of water as she knelt in front of a shaking Helen, pulling off the girl's gloves and holding her hands in her own to warm them.

"I'm not sure," Scorpius said once he caught his breath, still panting a bit as he set down a box Ella hadn't realized he'd been carrying. "I think she was coming from the post office. I was on my way here when I passed the alley by Eyelops and saw a few wizards had their wands drawn on her."

"What?!" Ella asked in outrage. "That never happens in Diagon!"

She turned her attention back to Helen, who was breathing deeply and attempting to calm down as Gina brought over a glass of water.

"You look like hell," said Gina, her expression shocked as she took in Helen, who began chugging the water gratefully.

"Sally is making me up some shepherd's pie," Ella told Gina. "Can you bring it to Helen?"

Gina nodded before cooperating immediately and heading towards the kitchen.

"Helen, can you tell me what happened?" Ella asked softly, still gripping Helen's hands reassuringly.

"It was terrifying," Helen said in a small, shaky voice. "I was walking back from the post office, struggling a bit as I carried the new order of bowls we got in."

She nodded towards the box Scorpius had carried in, which looked a little worse for wear.

"This man came up to me and told me it looked like I needed some help. He grabbed the box from my hands before I could say anything and took off down the alley. I called for help but there was no one else around, so I ran after him. But he wasn't alone."

Helen paused to take another drink of her water, thanking Gina as she returned with the food and said she'd cover for Helen until she was feeling better.

"Before I knew it there were three of them and they all had their wands on me, asking if I had any money. Scorpius showed up just as one of them had shoved me up against the wall and started searching me when I denied having anything. They all ran when he yelled and pulled his wand. He saved my life."

She looked at Scorpius with grateful eyes, releasing one of her hands from Ella so she could reach for her savior. Scorpius gave her a humble smile, kneeling down beside her chair and clasping her hand in both of his.

"I'm not so sure about that," he said softly, "but I am glad I happened to walk by when I did. You could have been seriously hurt."

"I could have died," Helen said, her large eyes wide as she tried to convey the seriousness of the situation. "I owe you my life, truly."

Scorpius smiled warmly at her. "Well, it was definitely a life worth saving. Is there anything else you need? Can I get you some coffee or tea?"

"I'll do it," Ella insisted, standing and giving Helen a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. Her friend smiled gratefully at her before she walked over to the bar, glancing back at Helen and her hero as she poured them each a cup of hot coffee. Scorpius moved to sit in the chair next to Helen's as she turned to eat her meal, thankfully much more calm than she had been when she'd arrived.

It was a bit terrifying that something like that could happen, and while she wasn't quite as convinced as Helen that she would have died had Scorpius not shown up, some serious harm could have been done. And she was extremely grateful for her friend, though not quite as much as Helen seemed to be.

Ella could tell that Helen was continuing to gush to Scorpius as he sat by her side, the words tumbling out of her now that she'd found her voice. She hadn't seen Helen take to someone and be this comfortable since Lorcan had left, and Ella couldn't help but wonder if Helen was about to fall for someone for the third time in six months.

The thought excited Ella. Scorpius was wonderful, and Helen really couldn't do any better. How fantastic would it be for two of her good friends to fall for each other? Was there a chance Scorpius could feel the same as Helen?

But Ella was getting ahead of herself. She didn't even know how Helen felt, and she'd promised herself after the last fiasco that she was done with matchmaking. So she wouldn't say anything about it to Helen. She would wait for her friend to come and confide in her on her own terms, no matter how long it took. She would hold her tongue.

But, as it turned out, she didn't have to wait very long.

It was a week after Scorpius had rescued Helen from the thieves in the alley. The last of the snow had melted away, the promise of spring in the air as they moved into mid March. Ella was figuring out the orders for the next month from the comfort of her flat on a Saturday morning, when a knock sounded on her door and Helen let herself in a moment later.

"I hope I'm not bothering you," said Helen, her attitude rather straightforward as she set a small box on the table Ella was working at.

"You're fine," she said, looking at the box curiously. "What's all this?"

"Well, since I had the day off," Helen began, "I thought I'd do some cleaning. I found a few things that I think it's high time I get rid of."

Ella watched in intrigue as Helen began to pull things that didn't look like they were anything special out of the box.

"This," Helen said as she held up what looked like a bill of sale, "is the receipt from the first lunch I ever served Eddie. This," she continued, holding up a pencil that Ella recognized, "is the pencil he fiddled with while you drew me."

Helen went through a few more items that were similar to the first two, all of them containing some meaning behind them and connected to Eddie Finnigan.

"I think it's about time I move on," Helen said with finality. "He's no longer the man I thought he was, and I'm not sure if he ever was. It's time for something new and a fresh start."

Ella watched with pride as Helen stood and walked over to where the drawing of her still hung, taking it off the wall and looking at Ella in question. She nodded, thoroughly enjoying watching Helen chuck it into the blazing fire place, quickly followed by the other items she'd brought with her.

"There," Helen said with a sigh, her countenance much more confident and content than Ella had seen in a while. "Nothing left to remind us of the stupidity of the past. On towards better things."

Ella smiled as Helen joined her at the table. "I think that sounds like a fantastic idea."

Helen grinned, very pleased by Ella's approval. She continued to sit there with a small smile on her face, looking through the papers spread out in front of Ella and asking the occasional question. Ella continued with her work as best she could, but there was a certain subject that she couldn't quite get out of her head. Thankfully, Helen was the one to introduce the topic after a few minutes of distracted work.

"You know, I'm not sure this whole dating thing is for me," said Helen, her tone thoughtful and a bit dejected.

"Helen," Ella said sympathetically, "just because you have a few… rough patches, it doesn't mean you should just turn your back on the possibility of romance."

"Why not?" Helen asked in confusion. " _You_ never go out on dates or show any interest in anyone."

"Yes…" she began slowly, "but you never know. I might change my mind someday."

Helen perked up at this comment, but Ella quickly moved on, not really wanting to dwell on the idea herself at the moment.

"Helen, is Eddie really the reason for this decision? Because you really shouldn't let his behavior dictate the choices you make in regard to your future."

"Oh, no," Helen said with a shake of her head. "It has nothing to do with him at all. If it has to do with _anyone_ … well…"

Her face turned pink and she looked away from Ella, her gaze almost longing as she stared unseeingly at the fireplace. Ella felt her heart beating a little faster in her chest in anticipation.

"Well," Helen continued with a sigh, "let's just say it would have to do with a far better man than Eddie Finnigan has ever been. Far better than just about anyone I know."

Her expression was somewhat sorrowful, but there was an underlying element of blissfulness. Ella realized that Helen's new resolve could only mean one thing.

"Helen," Ella began hesitantly, hardly able to control her excitement, "I've learned my lesson when it comes to interfering with your romantic life, and I'm determined to stick to my resolution of not doing so again, but are you trying to say that whoever this far better man might be, is someone you consider to be so entirely out of your league, that you find it best to just give up on the idea? Assuming it would never happen?"

"Oh, trust me," Helen began vehemently, turning to face Ella more fully, "I'm not so naive as to think that someone as successful and charming and handsome as him would _ever_ look at me."

"Helen, don't be silly," Ella said before she could stop herself.

"I'm just being honest with myself," Helen continued firmly. "He's far too perfect and wonderful for me to ever think I could measure up. No matter how much kindness he's shown me, I can't let myself think of it for even a second, or else I know I'll just get carried away. But at least I can do my best to show my gratitude and admiration for the wonderful man that he is, even if it's from a distance."

"Oh, Helen," said Ella, her hand going to her chest as Helen's humble words struck her. "Honestly, I'm not even surprised that you fell for him after he rescued you."

Helen smiled gratefully at Ella, who reached out and held her friend's hand in her own. "Oh, Miss Ella," she gushed, relief washing over her at no longer having to keep her feelings to herself, "I can't help but fall for him all over again every time the thought of him coming to my rescue enters my mind. He was just so kind and chivalrous and noble. I mean, I can't even begin to describe all the things I felt, going from utter misery to complete happiness the moment he saved me."

Ella couldn't stop herself from letting out a squeal of delight, quickly composing herself a moment later.

"I'm not surprised at all that you feel so grateful," Ella assured her, "but with everything that you've gone through, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't offer just a little advice."

Helen nodded enthusiastically, listening with rapt attention.

"Think long and hard about your feelings," said Ella severely. "Make sure you know for sure how you feel about him. And watch closely to see how he behaves around you and decide how to respond accordingly. I know you think it's impossible for him to ever think of you, but you really never know. You're a wonderful girl. Any man would be insane not to see that, so who knows what could happen. But that is all I will say on the matter," she continued with resolve. "I won't even speak his name, and you shouldn't either. I've said I won't meddle and I mean it. I don't want another dreadful mistake happening again. This is the last time we will even talk about it."

"Right," said Helen, nodding a bit absentmindedly as she processed everything Ella had just said. "I'll watch his behavior and see how he treats me. Maybe it's not as hopeless as I think."

Ella grinned at her friend, delighted by how the conversation had gone. As far as she could tell, she'd successfully refrained from meddling, while also managing to give her friend the confidence boost she needed. She meant what she'd said. Helen was a wonderful girl, and if Ella wasn't mistaken, Scorpius Malfoy would come to realize it one day very soon.

* * *

Ella spent the next few weeks observing how Scorpius acted around Helen, which turned out to be a slightly more difficult task than she'd been expecting. While Scorpius still made regular appearances at the Leaky Cauldron, he was more absent than he'd been during his initial trip to London. His excuse was that, with starting up the new branch of the firm and helping to get things set up for his aunt and uncle to move to the country, he didn't have as much free time as he used to. So, with the limited time that he was around, it was difficult for Ella to get a read on how he felt about Helen.

He'd been a bit more attentive the first few weeks following Helen's mugging, but it was hard to know if that was due to the incident, or if he was actually growing more fond of the younger girl.

"What are you staring at?"

Ella pulled her mind away from her musings at Lily's question, looking at her innocently. She'd been staring at the bar where Helen was currently talking to Scorpius, trying to pick up on any signs that there was a potential for more than friendship between them.

"Nothing," she said dismissively, looking at the girl sitting across from her in her regular booth. "Just taking a break from pouring over all these numbers." Ella gestured at the notebooks and stacks of receipts in front of her with a sigh. "I hate tax season."

Lily gave her a sympathetic smile before going back to the pages she was editing. It was nice to have Lily more present in her life again. She offered a comfortable and familiar presence along with amusing conversation and a good laugh every now and again. Ella didn't mind the days where Lily would camp out at a booth and poor over pages of her draft at the Leaky. Matt was pleased with the development as well, and Cassie seemed to be very grateful for the renewed presence of her best friend.

One thing that hadn't changed much over the last few weeks was Cassie's odd behavior, even though Lily being around had brightened her up a bit. There were still times when Ella would come across her either close to tears, pent up with frustration, or looking thoroughly exhausted.

Ella hadn't been able to make any headway in figuring out what was bothering her. James refused to talk, as did Lily, and anytime Ella happened upon either of them talking privately to Cassie, the conversation would immediately stop. Ella was doing her best not to be offended at being kept out of the loop.

There were even moments where it almost seemed like James and Lily were scheming together in some way, keeping their own secrets from Cassie. This was probably what bothered Ella the most. James had gotten on Ella's case more times than she could count for meddling in people's lives, and it seemed fairly likely that James and Lily were now doing just that.

"Oh no," Ella heard Lily whisper a few moments later. She was staring wide eyed across the room. Her gaze was fixed on the young wizard that had just walked through the door and Ella had first met at the party they'd had almost a month ago. She hadn't seen him since, so she assumed whatever was going on between him and Lily hadn't continued.

"That's David Fawley, right?" asked Ella in an undertone, just to make sure she wasn't mistake. Lily gave a jerky nod, only taking her eyes away from where David stood frozen in the doorway to glance towards the stairs. "Were you two dating, or-"

"One minute," Lily said dismissively, and then she was standing and quickly striding towards the rather agitated looking wizard, who kept glancing around the room searchingly. His expression turned determined as soon as he saw Lily. The noise of the lunch crowd made it impossible for Ella to make out what they were saying, but it quickly grew into a rather heated argument. Once the people seated nearest them began to stare, Ella felt like she had no choice but to step in.

"-this just isn't the right time."

"Lily, perhaps you should take this outside," Ella said as soon as she'd reached them. Lily paused in whatever she was saying to try and calm David down to look at Ella apologetically.

"Sorry, I'll take care of it," she said before turning back to David and saying, "You're not in the right state to be doing this."

"I'm sick of this, Lily," he said in a fierce whisper. She was quick to shush him and grab his arm, pulling him out the front door with one last apologetic glance at Ella.

"What was that all about?" Scorpius asked as Ella approached the bar.

"No clue," Ella said with a sigh. "No one tells me anything anymore."

"I tell you things," Scorpius pointed out.

"Yes, well, you don't keep any interesting secrets."

For some reason, Scorpius found this to be very amusing, and laughed heartily as he agreed with her.

"Hey, was that the bloke she went to the party with?" Matt asked rather aggressively, coming to stand beside Helen with his arms crossed as he glared towards the pair they could see talking through the front window.

"Yes," said Ella, "and you'll be staying out of it. Remember what she told you yesterday?"

Matt sighed and slouched against the bar. "I'm not allowed to insert myself into her personal life," he quoted. Ella patted him sympathetically on the arm, unable to fully understand how it felt to be in love with someone who wouldn't give you the time of day, but feeling bad for him all the same.

"Room four is all set for the Petersons to check in today," Cassie announced as she came downstairs, looking quite exhausted as she tried to work her hair back into a controlled ponytail. "Where'd Lily run off to?"

"That bloke she took to the party last month showed up and they're outside having a rather intense discussion," said Ella, unable to keep the annoyance at being left out out of her voice. Again. Her preoccupation with her own self-pity almost caused her to miss how quickly Cassie turned deathly pale at her words.

"David's here?" Cassie asked in a strained voice, her eyes wide and fearful as Ella nodded slowly. She gulped nervously, her hands running over her face and into her hair as her breathing picked up.

"Cassie, what's wrong?" Helen asked in concern. She was standing closest to the distressed girl and made to put a comforting hand on her arm, but Cassie quickly shook her head and stepped back.

"I have to…"

She didn't even finish her sentence before turning and running for the stairs again, but then the front door burst open and Lily followed an eager and desperate looking David back into the pub.

"Cass, wait!" he called out in a strained voice. Cassie froze at the bottom of the stairs, her hand on the railing and her back to the room as she breathed heavily. Everyone in the pub was now watching with undivided attention as David took a few tentative steps forward.

"Please talk to me," he pleaded. "Or at least look at me."

He waited, Lily standing a few feet away and watching uncertainly. It suddenly dawned on Ella that whatever was going on between Lily and David wasn't to do with their relationship, but had something to do with whatever was going on with Cassie. She gave up trying to figure out what it all meant and settled for simply watching things unfold in front of her as Cassie slowly turned around.

Tears were in her eyes, one silently escaping down her cheeks as she looked at the man in front of her. She seemed so torn in that moment, both relieved to be able to look at him, and devastated that she had to.

"Why can't you let this go?" David asked in a small voice. "I don't give a damn, and neither should you."

"Don't say that, David," Cassie pleaded, her voice shaky from her tears. "You might think you mean that, but you don't."

"This isn't a rash decision, Cassandra Jones," he said with authority, pointing at her to emphasize his point. "I've had plenty of time to think about this. Months. Years, even. You can't tell me I've spent all this time doing my damndest to figure out what's important and what matters to me only to come to the wrong decision. I think I know what I want better than you do by now."

"David, please-"

"Please what?" he asked in frustration. "Let it go? Move on? I can't do that. You know I can't."

"But you should," Cassie snapped, her tone and expression turning harsh. "It's better that way."

"I refuse to accept that you actually believe that," David said, crossing his arms and staring at her challengingly. "Can you honestly tell me that if I were to walk out of here right now with the understanding that we'd never see each other again, you'd be alright with that?"

There was a pause in which Cassie sighed and ran her hands through her hair in frustration, finally noticing the audience they had.

"David, you're making a scene," she hissed at him. "I work here. This is entirely inappropriate."

He glanced around then as well, giving Ella an apologetic grimace when his eyes landed on her. But then he was focused on Cassie again.

"I'm sorry, but you practically left me no choice. I've tried to talk to you for months, but not only have you run from the room every time we happen to see each other, you haven't even answered any of my letters. I even went to the post office to make sure they were getting delivered, only to find that you hadn't been by to pick them up in ages. What else did you expect me to do?"

"I expected you to take a hint," she said harshly. "I expected you to finally give up and carry on with your life."

She was showing more emotion in this one conversation than Ella could remember seeing in Cassie in the whole time that she'd known her, and things were slowly starting to come together in Ella's mind.

"Too bad," said David, taking another step closer to Cassie. "Because I can't give up on you. I refuse to give up on you. And I love you too much to ever want to simply carry on with my life if you're not in it."

Ella's jaw dropped in shock. She heard Helen and Matt let out similar gasps, saw Scorpius' eyes widen, and noticed the way the crowd shifted as his words filled the room. Lily appeared to be caught between wanting to smile and cry, and Cassie looked like she was about to melt into a puddle on the floor. Tears had welled up in her eyes again, and she let out a strangled sob, her hand going to her mouth as she attempted to hold herself together while her resolve started to crack. But David wasn't quite done yet.

"If my parents want to be a part of my life, they're going to have to get used to the idea that you're the most important part of that. I want nothing to do with them if they can't get over themselves and accept you for the fantastic person you are, no matter what your so-called blood status might be. If they don't accept you, then they don't accept me, and I don't accept them. And they're going to have to live with that. I know I sure as hell can. Because there's no way I would ever choose to live without you."

He fell silent, watching her in determination and nervous anticipation. And then another sob escaped Cassie, but this one was accompanied with what sounded like a laugh, a smile flickering across her face as she wiped at her tears.

"Are you going to kiss me or what?"

There was a collective sigh of relief as David immediately rushed forward at her words, sweeping Cassie off her feet in a searing kiss that had the crowd cheering.

"Holy shit!" Scorpius exclaimed, looking at Ella with a surprised smile on his face. "What the hell just happened?"

"I've got no bloody clue," Ella said with a laugh, unable to stop herself from letting out a whoop as Cassie pulled away from the kiss, both of them blushing brilliantly as they continued to hold each other tightly. The crowd began to quiet down and return to their meals as Lily rushed over to Cassie and David, holding her best friend tightly before talking to both of them ecstatically.

The three of them moved over to the bar a few minutes later, Cassie immediately apologizing to Ella for the scene.

"Don't worry about it," Ella said dismissively. "I won't be upset as long as you tell me the whole story."

Cassie gave a good-natured laugh, assuring Ella that she would.

"Do you mind if I go ahead and take my break first, though?" she asked, gesturing to David who was standing behind her and grinning happily as he continued to talk to Lily.

"Absolutely," said Ella. "Take your time."

Cassie smiled gratefully before turning to take David's hand. They exited the pub a moment later and Lily sat at the bar.

"What was that?" Matt asked immediately. "I thought he was your date to the party last month?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, that's a bit of a long story."

"Everything's a long story these days," Ella said pointedly. "How about you tell us your part?"

"Fine," Lily relented with a chuckle. "James is going to be so sorry he missed this."

* * *

 **A/N: SO? Thoughts? Is that the type of thing you expected to be going on with Cassie? I will fill in more blanks on that with the next chapter.**

 **Also, I'm getting impatient and considering uploading a bit more frequently than weekly. Would that be agreeable?**

 **Can I get a review with a favorite line or a favorite moment? either in this chapter or in the story as a whole so far? Those are always fun to see :)**


	14. The Not Quite Siblings

**A/N: I did say I'd maybe update more frequently didn't I. Well, here you go! I agonized over getting parts of this just right, so I hope I did and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Ella wasn't able to hear the whole story until James returned to the Leaky Cauldron late that night after a day of training. Lily had been right about her brother's reaction. While he was thrilled Cassie and David had worked things out, he was disappointed he'd missed the excitement. He did, however, take great pleasure in explaining his side of things to Ella, giving her the final piece of the whole story after first hearing the beginning from the others.

Cassie, Lily, and David had all been the same year at Hogwarts. The two girls never had much to do with David, as he was in a different house and kept to himself most of the time. It wasn't until their final year at school when Lily and David were partnered together for a Transfiguration assignment that their paths truly crossed.

As Cassie and Lily spent the majority of their time in each other's company, it wasn't long before David had met her as well. While his attitude towards Lily was perfectly friendly, he barely spoke a word to Cassie, even during the times she'd join them in the library.

It was difficult for Cassie not to feel offended by his attitude towards her, especially when she had no clue why he was so cold. Her answer came about a month after he and Lily had handed in their project. They were no longer meeting in the library, but Cassie would say hello to David every time she passed him in the corridors or sat near him in class, determined to make him finally acknowledge her presence with more than a blank stare. Then, one day, he did.

Lily had run back to the dorm to retrieve a book she needed, leaving Cassie alone in the library, which was a rare occurrence. But Cassie would always be thankful for Lily's forgetfulness that day, because it allowed David to have the perfect opportunity to approach her.

He'd simply walked up to her table and sat in the seat beside her, immediately rushing into an explanation before she could utter a word. His parents were pure blood and still took great pride in their status. The reason this had affected David's attitude towards Cassie was the fact that she was Muggle born. He was quick to explain that he had absolutely no problem with that and normally wouldn't treat anyone any differently based on blood status, but he'd admired her from a distance for so long, and he knew that the moment he got a chance to get close to her, it would be impossible for him to stay away, and his parents would not take kindly to that.

Spending time around her over the previous month had proved this to him even more, and while he didn't want to disappoint his parents, he knew he'd be even more disappointed in himself for letting their beliefs and his fear of their reaction control his choices. He wanted to at least be her friend, if she'd be able to look past the way he'd poorly handled himself up to that point, and he'd been so relieved when she agreed.

It had been Cassie's idea to keep things a secret. At the beginning, the only person that knew about their friendship was Lily. Others saw them together, but if they were ever asked about it, they'd simply explain it away by saying it was school related. The most helpful aspect of the situation was the fact that David was Head Boy, giving them the opportunity to spend time in the common room he shared with the Head Girl, who happened to be Molly Weasley. They even managed to keep it quiet from her as well.

When they left school, things hadn't progressed beyond a friendship that both held incredibly dear. Cassie knew he was afraid of what his parents would think, and she didn't want to be the cause of any unnecessary strife. But two years after they'd left school, David had had enough of doing nothing, and Cassie was all too ready to finally acknowledge the fact that she'd fallen in love with him as well.

It was simply a matter of hiding their romance from his parents after that. Lily helped some with this, delivering letters to Cassie before she found work at the Leaky and could actually receive mail by owls. Her parents were very accepting of the fact that she was a witch, but until they were able to be honest with his parents, she thought it best to keep it from hers as well. And seeing so many owls show up throughout the week was sure to arouse suspicion.

Over the next two years, the secret had grown more painful to keep. At first, they didn't even discuss telling his parents. It wasn't until they'd been out of school for four years that it became a regular topic of conversation. David would mention feeling ready to tell them, but Cassie was quick to shut it down, knowing that they would most likely want nothing to do with him once they found out, and not wanting to be the reason to break apart his family. It didn't really cause any strife until the previous autumn.

Cassie had stayed at David's flat one night, only for his mother to show up unannounced the following morning. The shouting match that had ensued had caused Cassie to stay away for a while, much to David's disappointment. They knew how much they loved each other by this point, and he claimed he no longer cared what his parents thought and that all he wanted was to be with her. They'd continued writing back and forth, David doing his best to convince Cassie it was what he wanted, before she finally broke it off just after Christmas.

This had explained Cassie's sudden change in demeanor. Ella had found Cassie crying not long after she'd ended things with David. She'd also stopped going to the post office then, most likely avoiding collecting his letters and unable to stomach the reminder it brought to make her daily errand.

After failing to hear from her for a few weeks, David had reached out to Lily, who'd been holed up in Devon and hadn't even been informed by Cassie that his parents had found out about their relationship. The main reason she'd come into town for the music night was to have a chance to talk to her friend, only to be ignored by her the majority of the evening. It was also the night Lily discovered that James knew Cassie's secret.

Ella was told all of this over dinner. Helen and Gina were covering the customers as Matt tended the bar, which allowed Ella to sit and listen to Cassie and Lily's story. David even chimed in here and there, having joined them as well. Ella decided very early on in the evening that she liked David very much and was truly happy that Cassie had found someone who obviously loved her tremendously.

James' side of the story was heard in the comfort of his room at the inn later in the evening. He'd arrived just as they'd reached the point where he came into the story, relief and excitement washing over him the moment he saw the couple sitting side-by-side in the booth. He'd given Cassie an enthusiastic hug, shaking David's hand and clapping him on the back, the previous conversation forgotten in favor of telling James what had happened.

Still dying to have her questions answered, Ella had gone up to his room the moment the pub had closed, banging on his door impatiently until he let her in.

"I suppose you know everything now?" James asked in amusement as he closed the door behind her.

"Not quite," she said, unceremoniously dropping onto his couch. "I only know up until the music night, and I don't even know your side of things. Are you allowed to tell me now?"

James chuckled as he joined her on the couch, stretching his legs out in front of him and settling back into the cushions. "You know I had some pretty intensive training today, right?" he asked. "So I'm rightfully exhausted."

"I'm sure you are, but I've been waiting ages to hear this whole story," Ella insisted.

"Fine," he said with a sigh, the amusement in his voice betraying the fact that he was actually enjoying knowing something she didn't. "Remember the day you went and got the mail instead of Cassie?"

Ella nodded. That had been the day she'd seen her crying in one of the rooms and decided not to disturb her.

"Well, I went upstairs after you left and heard a crash in one of the rooms. Turned out it was Cassie doing some cleaning and the curtains had ended up on the floor. She was a wreck, crying and cursing in frustration. I helped her set everything right, and I think she was just so exhausted and tired of keeping everything bottled up that all I had to do was ask if she was okay before she told me everything."

"So that's why you were paying more attention to her?" Ella asked when he paused.

"Yep," he said with a nod. "I was worried about her and wanted to do what I could to help, even if it was just cheering her up when possible. I remembered Lily saying before that she was good on the piano, so I signed her up for the music night. I listened to her whenever she needed to blow off some steam. I even went and grabbed your mail a few times when she was supposed to."

"But what happened the night of the party?" Ella asked. This was the part that had confused her the most.

"Ah," he said, a smile on his face that he tried very hard to conceal. "That was Lily's idea. She invited David to come so he would have a chance to talk to Cassie, who I convinced to come by saying it was about time she get back out there. Of course, the minute she saw David, she ran. I think she hid in the bathroom for a while before just leaving altogether."

"So, what you're saying is," Ella said slowly, "you meddled."

James shrugged, not nearly as guilty as Ella wanted him to be. "Not much. I just made sure someone was at a certain place at a certain time. I didn't do anything to try and sway any decisions or opinions."

Ella scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Technicalities."

James laughed as Ella turned so she was leaning with her back against the arm of the couch, her legs stretched out across the cushions so her feet almost touched James' thigh.

"Anyway," he continued. "Lily told me that David could probably use a bloke to talk to, so I grabbed breakfast with him that morning I wouldn't tell you who I'd had breakfast with. He was beyond frustrated that she was shutting him out when he'd made the decision to break away from his family so he could be with her. Honestly, I think he made that decision a long time ago, except Cassie never really let him. Not till today, at least."

He fell silent, staring at the fire in thought. Ella still had more questions, but didn't want to break the peaceful silence as she listened to the crackle of the logs.

"I didn't know what to tell him, really," James continued. "He was still writing, he'd tried and failed again to see her in person. What else was there for him to do? I think what he did today might have had something to do with what I eventually told him."

"Which was what?"

James sighed before saying in a quiet voice, "That if he's sure it's what he wants, he shouldn't let anything scare him away from going for it before it's too late. And that he'd only regret it if he did nothing."

There was something in his words that made Ella think he was speaking from experience, but what experience that was, she couldn't for the life of her figure out.

"He might have gone about it a little less delicately than I would have, but it was effective," he said with a pleased smile, glancing at Ella before looking back at the flames. She watched his profile, noting that his dark hair was getting long and beginning to curl around his ears. Her mind continued to wander through everything she'd learned throughout the course of the day, and there was one part in particular that kept coming back to her and causing a slight ache in her chest.

"I didn't realize people could still be like that," she said in a soft voice. "That prejudiced against someone over something so inconsequential as the family they happened to be born into."

James tore his eyes away from the fire to look at her, his expression somber but his gaze still warm. "I know. It's easy to forget that despite everything our parents fought for, we're still struggling for complete equality."

"It's despicable," Ella said in disgust. "Even the way Helen's parents don't want much to do with her. I'm just thankful that most of the wizarding world has their heads on straight. It's a shame it can't be everyone."

"Who knows if it ever will be," James said with a shrug. "It's sort of ingrained in humanity to pass judgement without cause and become set in our ways. We might not all do it to the extent that David's parents have, but it's still there."

Ella tried to not let it show just how much his words affected her. Not just because she hated any type of injustice in the world, but because she was beginning to see more and more clearly how much she perpetuated some of the very things he was speaking against. She might not be quite ready to face all of her shortcomings, but she could at least own up to some of them.

"You know, back when I thought _you_ fancied Cassie, I was surprised," said Ella, feeling suddenly guilty as she thought of all of her previous assumptions about the girl.

James looked at her quizzically. "Why?"

Ella shrugged, knowing it would be hard to admit her rather harsh and unfounded judgments. "I just assumed that if you ever managed to develop feelings for someone, they'd have more spunk. I always thought she was a bit...well...boring."

The wide eyed look of astonishment James gave her was exactly what she'd been expecting. "She just never really showed much personality or emotion," Ella continued quickly. "Not around me at least. I know I was wrong to just judge her without really trying to get to know her, and she's definitely had to deal with quite a lot so she's obviously a strong person, but seeing her with David today…I've never seen her so happy and carefree. I guess it made me realize that there's a lot more to her than I'd originally thought."

James gave her a skeptical look. "Are you admitting you were wrong?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be too surprised. I've been doing that a bit more often lately. Besides," she continued a bit triumphantly, "I wasn't the only one who thought she didn't have much to her. Scorpius said he wasn't even aware she was capable of laughing before today."

"Well, we can't all wear our hearts on our sleeves like you and young Mr. Malfoy can," he said, sounding a bit disgruntled by her words as he looked back at the fire.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ella asked with a confused chuckle. James shrugged.

"Nothing. It's just that you don't exactly hide the way you feel."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Ella challenged.

"No," James said with a sigh, his gaze turning towards her, "there's nothing wrong with that at all. It's rather brave, in fact."

The sincerity in his gaze was striking as his eyes traveled over her face. But then he was looking back at the fire again as a yawn escaped him.

"Do you think you'd be able to do that?" Ella asked, feeling the need to change the subject.

"Do what?" James inquired curiously.

"Well, what both of them did, I suppose," Ella said thoughtfully. "Could you give up your family for someone you love? Or could you completely cut someone out of your life, thinking it was the best thing for them even though you'd be devastated to be separated from them?"

James sat in silent contemplation for what felt like a solid minute, Ella's own thoughts running around the questions as well.

"I don't know what I would have done, to be honest," he said eventually. "I suppose it's one of those things where you can't really say what you'd do unless you were actually faced with the choice. Then again, I doubt my parents would ever turn me away based on who I fell in love with. It's not something they'd do."

Ella nodded, her mind suddenly jumping to the image of James bringing a young witch home to Harry and Ginny, who greeted her joyfully and welcomed her with open arms. For some inexplicable reason, the thought of it didn't sit well with Ella. Probably because it was hard to imagine James with anyone.

"I suppose we're just lucky that way," Ella said, shaking the image from her mind. "Our family's rather wonderful."

James gave a noncommittal grunt of agreement as he continued to stare into the fire.

"Don't go getting a big head about that," Ella warned him playfully, nudging her toe against his thigh.

"About what?" James asked in confusion, turning to look at her.

"About me saying you're wonderful, in a roundabout way."

"When did you do that?"

"Just now," said Ella, growing more confused as the conversation continued, "when I said our family is wonderful."

"Oh, right," James said softly, his gaze turning back to the fire almost dejectedly.

"Everything okay?" Ella asked, growing slightly concerned by his somber demeanor.

"It's fine," he assured her, but Ella could tell there was more he wanted to say.

"It's just…we're not family, though," he said eventually. "Not technically, anyway."

"Oh," Ella said in a small voice, trying not to let the way he was so flippantly disregarding the close nature of their relationship offend her. "I suppose you're right."

Had she upset him in some way? Was there a reason he was trying to put distance between them? She knew he was right. Just because their siblings were married, it didn't make them family. But she'd known him her whole life. They'd shared holidays together and they'd fought and made up more times than she could count. She'd always known she could count on him for anything, so in her mind, that made him family. But maybe James saw things differently.

He let out another yawn, causing Ella to notice the lateness of the hour.

"Oh, right, you've had a long day," Ella said as she stood. "You probably want some sleep."

James nodded, continuing to yawn as he stretched and stood with her. He pulled her into a quick hug and bid her goodnight before heading towards his bathroom, leaving Ella to see herself out.

While she was thankful to have received some answers when it came to everything that had gone on with Cassie, something wasn't sitting right. His final comments of the evening weren't going to be forgotten quickly. James' behavior made her feel like she was missing something. Some information that would allow it all to make sense. She just couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

* * *

By mid April, the weather had warmed up enough for the idea of spending a day by the coast to be seriously planned and considered. Scorpius had helped move his aunt and uncle into their new home, giving him more time to focus on other things. He'd taken to the idea of traveling somewhere for the day ecstatically, and it was the main topic of conversation for a solid week as they started planning.

Of course, when you're trying desperately to keep something from certain people, it's only a matter of time until your secret is out. Especially when it's one kept by so many people.

"I can't bloody believe it," Ella said in frustration, trying not to break any dishes as she washed them by hand. "What was Hermione thinking? And when did we decide that everyone's parents were allowed to come on this trip?"

"You do remember that my step-mother is one of your closest friends, right?" Scorpius asked as he assisted in drying the dishes. "It only makes sense when you think about it."

"I know," Ella said with a sigh. "It wouldn't be as enjoyable for her or Draco if it was just people our age. I just don't know why Hermione would have thought we'd invite _her."_

Scorpius chuckled. "While I heartily agree that Penelope is awful, it probably won't be as bad as you think. She'll spend all her time trying to convince Rose to accept her offer to find her a job in her brother's department and leave the rest of us to enjoy the day in peace."

"Poor Rose," Ella said with a sympathetic chuckle. "I don't know why she doesn't just tell her to shove it."

"That's not who Rose is," Scorpius said with a shrug and a slight smile.

"I suppose so" Ella conceded. "She's far better than I am, after all. Much more ladylike and well mannered."

Scorpius laughed. "Some actually prefer messy table manners and bad tempers."

Ella grinned, chuckling along with him and feeling better about the whole thing already.

"Ella, you back there?" came a holler from the other side of the kitchen door.

"Yes!" she called back. Ella had recognized the voice instantly, so she was surprised when he didn't come into the kitchen right away.

"James, you can come back here!" she said with a roll of her eyes. The door swung open a moment later and James poked his head in.

After their conversation in his room, things between Ella and James hadn't exactly changed in the past few weeks, but she couldn't help feeling the slight tension in the air at certain times. She couldn't always point to what caused it, but she couldn't deny that his words at the end of their conversation still bothered her and frequently came to mind, most likely affecting the way she interpreted his actions or even behaved herself. There were also times when it was easy to tell what was bothering him. Like right now, as she watched the grin on his face fall away when he saw Scorpius. James still hadn't quite warmed up to him, which bothered Ella immensely.

"What happened to not being allowed in the kitchen?" James asked as the door swung shut behind him.

"I've been known to make exceptions, haven't I?" Ella teased.

James appeared to think this over for a moment, looking between her and Scorpius before shaking his head and remembering why he'd come back there in the first place. "I have either good news or bad news, depending on how you look at it."

"Well, we've already had our fair share of bad news today, and I doubt anything could be worse than Penelope inviting herself and Eddie to come along on our little trip this weekend."

James cringed. "It's about this weekend, actually."

Ella sighed in defeat, tossing the dish cloth into the soapy water and drying her hands on her apron. "Well, lets have it, then."

"You know how I had that match that was canceled because of the snow storm?"

Ella nodded.

"They've rescheduled it for this weekend."

"What?!" Ella asked in outrage. "They only gave you five days notice?"

"The Arrows were supposed to be playing at Kenmare this week, but the Kestrel's pitch was flooded and someone did some nasty vandalism so they postponed," he explained. "Which means the Arrows are free to have their rematch with us this weekend since there was no other time it would work."

Ella's face was pinched in disappointment, her lips pursed as she refrained from pouting.

"So," James continued, holding back a smile at her obvious displeasure, "I was thinking we do the overnight trip to my house in Tutshill this weekend instead. You all could come to the match."

Ella immediately perked back up at this suggestion, clapping in delight and immediately agreeing to the idea.

"I can reserve tickets for everyone, so get me a headcount," said James. "You can all Floo to the stadium from here and send your stuff ahead to the house."

"Sounds perfect," Ella assured him, and then James was making his way out of the kitchen with one last fleeting look between Ella and Scorpius that she missed, having turned to Scorpius in excitement the moment James had turned to leave the room.

"How do we get out of letting Penelope know of the change in plans?" she asked Scorpius.

"We can just tell them we have to postpone the trip to Sussex," said Scorpius. "We don't have to tell them we're going to Tutshill this weekend instead."

"Brilliant," Ella said enthusiastically. "Lets just hope no one else slips up over the next few days."

But bad luck was to be Ella's once again, as Lily let the news slip the very next day.


	15. The Quidditch Star

**A/N: If you normally only check this once a week, make sure you go back a chapter and read the one I posted on Monday! And now, without further ado, read and review, you know the drill!**

* * *

"I can't even begin to tell you how awful I feel," said Lily on the morning they were to leave for Tutshill. "I didn't even know she was there."

Lily had been talking to Cassie about how disappointing it was that she wouldn't be joining them for the match, as she'd volunteered to take charge of the inn over the weekend. Being so caught up in talking to her friend, Lily had missed the presence of Penelope Jenkins a few places down the bar, and there was nothing to be done about it by that point.

"If only we were as insensitive and rude as she is," Ella groaned in misery as she packed up the last of her things for the weekend and threw on her well worn Tutshill Tornados beanie. "Then we could just tell them to shove it."

"Is Helen going to be okay?" Lily asked. "James told me there's some uncomfortable history there."

"I think so," Ella said with a sigh as they made their way downstairs. "They don't really pay much attention to her, and she's definitely moved on."

Rose, Hugo, and Scorpius were already standing by the fire when Lily and Ella came downstairs. They were still waiting on Helen, Eddie, and Penelope.

"I'm just thankful that James only has enough room for six of us to stay," Ella said grumpily as they reached the rest of their party. "And they can't even complain about not being invited to spend the night since his own parents and so many of his cousins and aunts and uncles won't be."

After Penelope found out about their plan to go to James' match, they no longer saw a need to keep it to a small party, and now most of James' relatives were coming to the match, as were Draco and Anne. It had been decided that Ella, Helen, Scorpius, Lily, Hugo, and Rose would be staying the night at the house in Tutshill, seeing as they'd been the ones who were going initially. Thankfully, no one had put up a fight and they were allowed to stick to their intended plans in that regard. Ella was very excited to have the opportunity to observe Scorpius' interactions with Helen for an extended period of time without a lot of people around.

"Damn it, here they come," Hugo grumbled a moment later, still not having come around to the idea of his friend's fiance. "What the blazes is she carrying?"

Ella let out an amused snort as Penelope and Eddie entered the pub, the former struggling a bit as she carried an absurdly large suitcase that was much too big for an overnight stay. It was also rather gaudy in nature, bright pink and bedazzled, and Ella had to agree with Hugo's follow up comment to his friend's fiancé that she could've sent it on to the hotel beforehand, rather than dragging it with her.

"I can't tell you all how _much_ I'm looking forward to this," said Penelope as she reached them, ignoring Hugo's words and dropping the suitcase with a loud thud. "I went to matches _all_ the time when I was staying with my sister in Rome, seeing as her husband's family owns one of the teams. We had our own private box and everything."

"Sounds delightful," said Hugo with a bored tone. "Shall we?"

"We're still waiting on Helen," said Ella, checking the clock above the mantle. She did her best not to glare at Penelope when she heard her scoff and make a comment about how inconsiderate some people could be and how dare she keep them waiting. Thankfully, the reason for her displeasure didn't last as Helen came quickly down the stairs a moment later.

"Sorry!" she said as she reached them, her rucksack hanging over her shoulder and her hair almost contained by a ponytail. She was wearing a Tornados jumper that looked to be relatively new, making Ella think she'd gone out and bought it especially for this occasion. She smiled at the endearing gesture. "I was helping Cassie finish up the last of the rooms so she wouldn't have to worry about that once we're all gone."

Ella gave Helen a grateful smile just as Cassie came down the stairs, a bright smile on her face.

"Have fun!" said Cassie, waving as they began to line up to head through the Floo. "Don't worry about things here. I'll be in touch if I need anything."

Ella thanked her once again for how helpful she was being, and Cassie waved her away, that same smile still on her face. It had been there almost constantly since she'd reunited with David a few weeks ago. Even though things wouldn't be easy for them as far as his family was concerned, there was no doubt that the two were exceptionally happy to be together again.

With a quick wave of her wand, Ella sent all of their luggage on ahead to James' house, where it would be waiting for them later in the evening. Penelope did the same with hers, sending it to the hotel that everyone else would be staying in.

It was with anxious excitement that Ella stepped through the Floo a moment later. It wasn't unheard of for her to go to one of James' matches, but it had been a few years. And with the added element of staying away for a whole evening, the excitement was even greater. It made her feel a bit silly that she was looking forward to such a simple weekend this much. People did this type of thing all the time. But Ella spent so little time going anywhere other than Diagon Alley, it was almost like Christmas had come once again.

She stepped out into a long hallway of fireplaces, people pouring out of them and dressed up in the attire of either the Tutshill Tornados or the Appleby Arrows. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as they all made their way into the stadium. They came out into a corridor that Ella knew wound around the entire stadium, food vendors and restrooms and exits located at various points along the never ending walkway.

"Come on," said Hugo, his height allowing him to see over the heads of most of the crowd. "We're not far from our box."

He led the way, Scorpius right along with him as he rivaled Hugo in height. It didn't take long for them to reach their box, which was already beginning to fill up with other Potters and Weasleys.

They all settled into their seats as the teams were announced and began flying onto the pitch. Ella cheered along with the crowd from her seat between Lily and Helen, the whole lot of them standing and hollering when James' name was announced.

"Wow, he really is a fantastic flyer, isn't he?" Helen said in awe as the Quaffle was released and play began.

"He's one of the best in the league," Lily said with pride.

"I wish I knew more about Quidditch," Helen said a bit dejectedly as they sat back down. "I think I understand the basic rules, but everytime I hear someone talking about it, it feels like there's so much more to it."

"Scorpius?" said Ella, leaning forward so she could look around Helen to the wizard sitting on her other side. "Do you know a lot about Quidditch?"

"Followed it for years," he said with a smile, glancing at them before focusing back in on the match. "I've mostly kept up with the French league, but I've paid attention to Britain and Ireland too."

"So you know all about the ins and outs of strategies and plays and techniques and things?" asked Ella. He shrugged, turning to give them another smile. Ella held in a triumphant smirk as Helen immediately began asking him questions, both of them with their gazes focused on the pitch. After watching for a few moments as Scorpius gestured to the players while explaining something to Helen, she turned her attention back to the match, thankful that she hadn't needed to prod more.

"What was that?" Lily whispered a few moments later.

"What?" asked Ella, feigning innocence.

"Are you trying to set Helen up with Scorpius?"

Ella gave Lily a warning glance, signally for her to keep her voice down. "No, I'm not. I've tried meddling and I'm not doing that anymore. I barely did anything just now."

Lily looked unconvinced, but returned her attention to the match anyway. "Just be careful," Lily couldn't help but warn. "I have a feeling his emotions are entangled elsewhere."

"What?" Ella asked in surprise.

"Oh, as if you don't feel the same way," said Lily with a roll of her eyes. "I'm actually very surprised you're open to the idea of him with someone else."

She glanced suggestively at Ella before her eyes focused back on the match. Ella couldn't help glancing over at Scorpius, who was now explaining something to both Helen and Rose, who was sitting on his other side. Ella had convinced herself that Scorpius didn't actually have feelings for her, and she strongly believed she was right. Was Lily implying that she thought differently?

A cheer erupted as James scored the first goal for the Tornados, the whole box standing and clapping and yelling loudly. Ella decided to let the subject of the nature of her relationship with Scorpius Malfoy go. Maybe Lily thought there was something more between them than friendship, but so what if she did? Ella had never cared much what people thought of her. There was no reason for her to start regulating her behavior because people were coming to incorrect conclusions. All they had to do was ask her, and she'd be willing to tell them that there was nothing beyond friendship between herself and Scorpius.

The topic was eventually forgotten as Ella became engrossed in the match. James really did fly brilliantly, and he led his team to a fantastic victory, further cementing their place as third in the league and pushing them closer towards second.

"Portree just lost one of their starting Chasers for a few matches because of a severe head injury, too," Ron was saying to Scorpius and Hugo as they all made to leave the box, "so it's more likely than not that they'll fall a little bit and open up an opportunity for Tutshill to jump ahead even further in the standings."

Ella heard Rose chuckle as they followed the three men out of the box, Helen and Lily behind them.

"Your dad's really into Quidditch," Ella commented. Rose nodded, an affectionate smile on her face.

"He was always a bit disappointed that I never played. Hugo was good, though, and Scorpius is such a big fan so Dad's really enjoyed being able to talk to him about Quidditch as well."

"Really?" said Ella, taken aback a bit by this comment. "Does he get a chance to talk to Scorpius often?"

As far as Ella knew, the most the two had crossed paths was that first dinner they had and whatever times they'd run into each other at the Ministry. She supposed they'd seen each other a few times at the inn as well, but was that enough for Rose to make a comment like that?

"Oh," said Rose, seeming a bit surprised herself by her comment. "Well, they just talked about it quite a bit when we all had dinner together when he first came to town. It's one of the only topics my dad can handle with Draco where there isn't much of a risk one of them will say something they'll regret."

Ella nodded, noticing that Rose was staring almost nervously ahead as they continued to make their way out of the stadium. She had no choice but to let the confusing moment go when Harry called for their attention, saying they'd made reservations at a nearby restaurant and that James would be meeting them there.

It was only a short walk from the stadium, and their group practically filled out the restaurant. There were two long tables set up for their party, most of the older generation taking one while the young people took the other. Much to Ella's displeasure, she found herself at the same end of the table as Eddie and Penelope, whom she'd almost forgotten were there as they'd been seated so far away from each other during the match.

"You know, I forgot how _charming_ English restaurants could be," Penelope said from her place across from Ella as she glanced around. "I haven't been in an establishment that I'd classify as 'nice' since we got back from Rome."

Her eyes flickered towards Ella as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, but she didn't need to do so in order for her dig to be picked up on.

"Of course, with _all_ your time spent in Paris, you know all about _fine_ dining, don't you, Rose?" said Penelope, turning to the girl in question who'd had the misfortune to be seated beside her.

"Oh," said Rose, clearly a bit surprised at being addressed so abruptly. "I don't know. I mostly spent my time at a local pub, a lot like the Leaky Cauldron. Not that the Leaky isn't nice," she was quick to assure Ella.

"Don't worry about it," Ella waved dismissively. "There's a difference between a fancy restaurant and a familiar and comfortable everyday establishment, which is exactly what I want the pub to be."

Rose smiled gratefully, but Penelope wasn't quite finished.

"Surely you went to _some_ nice places," she continued. "I mean, I hope none of the wizards you went out with only took you to homy little pubs."

Rose's mouth opened and closed uncertainly as she tried to come up with a response. She glanced nervously at Ella and Scorpius across from them before saying, "I don't really date much, actually."

"What?!" Penelope said in shock. "A sweet tempered and pretty girl like you? You must be saying no to an awful lot of dates."

Scorpius let out an amused snort from his seat next to Ella, choking a bit on one of the rolls that the waiter had just brought to the table. Hugo pounded him on the back as he continued his conversation with Eddie about the match. Rose, Penelope, and Ella were all looking at Scorpius in question, but he just calmly took a drink of his water, ignoring the looks they gave him.

"Oh, but you'd know all about fine dining in France," Penelope said in realization, turning her interrogation on Scorpius instead. He nodded as he set his glass back on the table.

"My aunt and uncle are fans of some of the upper class places," he confirmed. "And the ladies don't mind them either."

He smirked charmingly at Penelope, who let out an obnoxious giggle. "I bet you have _all_ kinds of girls chasing after you," she said in what she probably thought was an alluring lilt to her husky voice, blinking her eyes at him a bit rapidly. Scorpius brow rose in surprise at her forwardness, especially as she was sitting right next to her fiance. But Eddie was barely paying any attention.

Ella sighed in relief when James arrived a moment later, waving off their cheers with an embarrassed look on his face as he moved to join them.

"You really did play fantastic," Lily told her brother, accepting the kiss he dropped on her cheek as he took the seat at the head of their table. Louis was at his other side and immediately began asking questions about the match.

Ella found she was annoyed that James was so far away, seperated from her by Roxanne, Fred, and Lily. There was a part of her that still felt unsettled after their conversation about whether or not they were family, and she found herself aching to spend time with him, wanting to assure herself of his permanent presence in her life. She was grateful when she caught his eye and he smiled brightly at her, the simple gesture offering assurance as she tried to convey with simply a look how proud she was of him after his performance that day.

It had been so long since she'd watched him play that Ella had started to forget how talented James was. He'd always been just James to her, and he always would be, but there was something about seeing him in his own environment that reminded her that there was so much more to him than his somewhat grouchy attitude and humble approach to living his life. It was a well known fact that you never asked for James Potter's autograph when he was at the Leaky Cauldron, so Ella hadn't really ever seen the effects of his fame. It was odd to see a young boy come up to him at one point during their meal and ask him to sign his Tutshill jersey, and even stranger to watch James comply willingly, a smile on his face as he talked to the boy.

Ella was thankful when Roxanne pulled Penelope into a conversation about the most recent line of boots she was helping develop for Madam Malkin's, allowing Rose to chat with Lucy and Helen, who were seated between her and Louis, and giving Ella the opportunity to turn to the man seated next to her.

"What was that earlier?" Ella couldn't help asking Scorpius in a whisper.

"What was what?" he asked curiously as he grabbed the dessert menu.

"Your whole little choking fit over Penelope's comment about Rose's dating life. Is there something you know?"

Scorpius continued to scan the dessert menu for a moment before smirking, turning to Ella and saying in an undertone, "I was just thinking about the fact that we know of at least _one_ bloke that might have liked to take her out to dinner, but was unable to due to a previous _engagement._ "

Ella did her best not to snort into her wine, but no one seemed to be paying them any mind. "We really should try to get to the bottom of that. Dom's wedding is this summer. I wonder if she'll even go."

They shared a mischievous grin, Ella having her attention pulled away by a question from Fred, and Scorpius going back to the dessert menu.

"Hey, look!" Scorpius exclaimed in excitement a moment later, turning in his seat to tap his step-mother on the shoulder at the table next to theirs. He gestured with the dessert menu and said, "They have Banoffee Pie here so I can finally try some."

Anne and Draco had both turned in their seats to face their son, looks of confusion on their faces.

"You told me it was your favorite," said Scorpius as if it were obvious, clearly surprised that they didn't know what he was talking about. "Didn't you say that I'd have to try it when I came to England? In one of your letters?"

They had the attention of just about everyone by now, and Anne was looking at Scorpius incredulously. "I don't think I ever said that," she told him. "I rather dislike bananas, actually."

"What? Surely not," said Scorpius disbelievingly. "I remember it very clearly. You even said there was a particular place that made the best one."

Anne was shaking her head and about to continue refuting his claim, when the sound of Rose coughing rather violently diverted everyone's attention. She waved off everyone's concerned looks and questions, taking a sip of her water to ease her apparent choking.

"Never mind," Ella heard Scorpius say to Anne as he turned back to the table. "I probably just got it mixed up with something my aunt said."

He gave what sounded like a nervous chuckle, setting aside the dessert menu and taking a sip of his wine.

"Actually," Hugo said with a look of contemplation, "Banoffee Pie has always been-"

Rose began choking again, cutting off whatever Hugo was about to say as she excused herself from the table between coughs, quickly heading in the direction of the restroom. Everyone went back to their meal after watching Rose leave with slight concern, save Hugo, who stood after a few moments and followed his sister.

"You can't go in the ladies room, Hugh," Lily called after him with a chuckle. He ignored her as he continued after his sister.

"That was odd," Ella mumbled. She heard Scorpius give a grunt in agreement, and then it was announced that they'd all go back to James' for more drinks and dessert, which Ginny and Harry had dropped by earlier, the oddities of the evening forgotten.

* * *

Ella was delighted to see the last person be swept away by green flames as Harry and Ginny left James' house late that evening. They really had had a splendid time. Fred had indulged in a little too much fire whiskey, which led to him entertaining them all with reenactments of some of James' most spectacular goals. Helen had talked James' ear off about all the things she'd learned about Quidditch. The desserts Ginny had brought were delicious, and Penelope had practically demanded the recipe. Ella had laughed quietly to herself when Ginny had insisted it was a family secret and there was actually an enchantment in place preventing her from telling anyone who wasn't related. This was something that Ella knew to be false, seeing as she actually had the recipe herself.

Rose hadn't had any more strange coughing fits, coming back from the restroom perfectly composed before they left the restaurant, though Hugo had appeared slightly disgruntled. Ella had been able to find a moment to ask Hugo what had been wrong, but he'd avoided answering the question, allowing himself to quickly be pulled into a conversation with someone else before he could offer an explanation.

One of the most memorable parts of the evening for Ella, however, had been when she saw Penelope go into the kitchen while James was in there preparing to serve the desserts and drinks. Ella had moved over to the door to the kitchen, cracking it open so she could observe surreptitiously. She watched in shock as Penelope insisted on helping to plate the desserts and serve people, claiming she knew _exactly_ how to be a proper hostess.

"I think I've got it handled," James had assured her.

"Oh, but I _insist_. I have _plenty_ of experience in these things."

"No, really," James had said forcefully, "I think I'm more than capable of hosting my own party."

"Oh, but these things need a _woman's_ touch," Penelope insisted, and Ella watched in shock as she moved to take over for James.

"You might have a point," he said sharply, "but there is only one woman who will be helping host parties in this house."

Penelope looked taken aback for a moment before giving him a simpering smile and saying, "Your mother, I suppose?"

"No," said James with forced patience, "but she _will_ be a Mrs. Potter, that much is certain. And I don't mean my sister-in-law either."

Penelope stared at him in shock, and Ella was feeling much the same. She'd quickly backed away from the kitchen, forcing herself to join the closest conversation and not think about what she'd just heard.

James thought he might get married one day? And he'd thought about it to the extent that he knew whomever he married would be the only woman he wanted throwing parties in his house? Ella didn't think James had ever really thought about getting married, not that they'd really talked about it before, but there was enough talk about relationships in general lately that she figured he'd have at least dropped hints before now that he was interested in finding someone himself if that were the case.

Maybe this was where his whole developing a new perspective and being more positive thing came in again. She knew the Cassie thing wasn't actually a thing, but had he met someone else? Someone who'd made him reconsider his future?

By the time everyone had left for the evening, the subject had floated to the back of her mind as she grew tired, unable to think about much outside of the bed that was waiting for her upstairs. James had three spare bedrooms; one that Ella would be sharing with Helen, one for Rose and Lily, and one for Hugo and Scorpius.

"Merlin, I'm exhausted," James said with a yawn, collapsing onto his couch as soon as his parents had disappeared through the grate. "I did not expect them to hang around that long."

"When are we planning on heading back tomorrow?" Hugo asked as he sat on the floor in front of the now softly glowing fire.

"Well," said James, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "there's this place I like to go to for breakfast sometimes. We could do that before heading back, unless anyone has somewhere they need to be?"

There were head shakes and mumbled noes as they all lounged around James' living room. Ella had forgotten how much she liked his house. She'd only been there one other time in the three years that he'd owned it, but she felt perfectly comfortable and at home there. Her mind floated back to the statement James had made earlier to Penelope, and she tried to picture a female presence coming in and altering the environment. It wasn't overly masculine, but you could tell it didn't have the typical "woman's touch". Ella didn't think that would suit James. She liked his house just the way it was, with dark hardwood floors and trim, off white walls, and navy blue curtains and furniture. It was homy and welcoming. In fact, Ella was sure the only reason he spent more time at the Leaky Cauldron than here was because it didn't feel that way when it was empty. James needed people around him to really feel at home.

It wasn't long before Rose and Lily made their way upstairs to head to bed, Helen following them so Lily could show her around. Scorpius and Hugo had volunteered to do some cleanup, heading into the kitchen to take care of the dishes, insisting on doing it when James made to protest.

"You played in a five hour match today," Hugo reminded him. "You're only allowed to get off your arse to go to bed."

James gave him an appreciative nod as he left with Scorpius, leaving James and Ella sitting in the comfortable quiet together. She supposed she could have followed the other girls upstairs, but she was so comfortable and peaceful, she couldn't bring herself to do it just yet.

"Ella, can I ask you something?" James said softly after a few moments of peaceful silence. She nodded and turned her head to look at him when he stayed silent, only to find him staring into the fire.

"Sure."

"Earlier, when Louis was talking about Dom's wedding, what did Malfoy mean by his comments?"

Ella tried not to give herself away by flushing or grinning guiltily. The moment he was referring to had happened when they were all enjoying their desserts. She'd been sitting at the dining room table with James, Scorpius, Rose, Hermione, and Louis, who was answering his aunt's questions about his sister's upcoming nuptials. Hermione had innocently said that she hadn't been able to spend much time with her niece's future husband, but she'd liked what she'd seen, and that Rose had said some wonderful things about him. Much to Ella's horror and amusement, Scorpius had taken the opportunity to mumble, "I'm sure she has."

The only people that heard it were Ella and Rose, and apparently James, though she hadn't realized it at the time. She'd been preoccupied watching Rose look at Scorpius in confusion as he smirked down at his dessert.

It wouldn't have been that big of a deal if that was all that had been said, but then Scorpius had taken it upon himself to ask Rose if Raphael Andry was the type of bloke that liked to take girls to fancy French restaurants. Rose had stared at him with wide eyes, her cheeks growing pink as she mumbled a barely believable, "I don't know."

Oblivious to the insinuation behind the question asked her daughter, Hermione had quickly jumped to asking Louis questions about what type of food would be at the wedding. James, having not been at the restaurant during the conversation Scorpius had referenced, had no clue why Rose had reacted the way she did.

"It's just a little joke," Ella said dismissively. "Perfectly innocent."

James looked unconvinced. "Really? Because it seemed to make Rose uncomfortable."

Ella didn't know what to say to this, because James was right. It had been a source of amusement to her and Scorpius and had only served to cause Rose discomfort. She couldn't exactly explain it away to James either. Not without him growing extremely angry at her. He would heartily disapprove. She remained silent, turning to stare into the fire herself until James spoke again.

"How well do you think Rose and Scorpius actually know each other?"

"What?" Ella asked in confusion, completely clueless as to where he was going with his question.

"I've just been noticing things," he said with a shrug. "The way they interact with each other is more familiar than I'd expected, based on what I know of their somewhat limited history."

Ella looked at James incredulously. "How have they interacted with each other?"

"I don't know," he said with a long suffering sigh. "Just looks passing between them, things like that. Are you sure he's being completely honest about their history? There's nothing more going on there? Nothing...of a much more friendly nature?"

Ella let out a laugh, surprised and amused by James' observations. "James, you might have been able to help Cassie sort out her love life, but I don't think you should quit your day job to take up matchmaking. It doesn't suit you."

He gave her a thoroughly annoyed look. "That's not what I'm doing. It was just difficult not to notice it tonight at dinner, and then I saw them talking privately tonight as well."

Ella rolled her eyes, immediately dismissing his conclusions. "James, I don't know what you think you saw, but I can assure you it was nothing. Or it at least had nothing to do with anything more than a mere friendly acquaintance between the two."

James still looked skeptical, and she realized she'd have to be a bit more honest if he were to see sense.

"The joke earlier was, I'll admit, not my finest moment. Suffice it to say that it's been rather obvious for a while that there's someone special in Rose's life, and we're simply trying to figure out who it is. I know you probably think it's silly and would find something like that childish,"

She chuckled good naturedly, but James still didn't seem convinced. In fact, he seemed annoyed and more than a bit disapproving, as he always seemed to be whenever they talked about anything having to do with Scorpius Malfoy. It bothered Ella more than she cared to admit.

"I don't know why you don't like Scorpius," said Ella, her tone betraying how much the idea upset her, "but just because you don't, it doesn't mean he would actually do the things you're accusing him of."

"And what am I accusing him of, exactly?" asked James.

"That he would be so willfully dishonest as to act like there's nothing between him and Rose when there actually is, which is laughable," she argued. "I know you're keen to look out for Rose since she's your cousin, and you're probably even trying to protect me the same way, but you have nothing to worry about. I also know you disapprove of my behavior at times, but I wouldn't ever purposefully do anything to harm Rose."

James still looked displeased, so Ella did what she could to drive home her point once and for all.

"Look," said Ella with a sigh, leaning forward and resting her arms on her knees with her hands clasped in front of her, "if you really are insinuating that they share a…romantic history, I can assure you that they don't. And as far as any hopes for that to happen in the future, I can't speak for Rose, but Scorpius would never think of her that way, I can promise you that. And even if he did, do you really think he'd joke with me about who her potential admirer is?"

Ella felt like she had him there, but the look on James' face spoke plainly that he thought Scorpius was very capable of doing just that.

"Scorpius Malfoy does not fancy Rose Weasley, I'm sure of it."

She said it with confidence, fully believing herself to be right. James was watching her closely, and she could have sworn a pained look crossed his face, but it was gone before she could be sure.

Hugo and Scorpius came back through from the kitchen a moment later, saying they were heading up to bed as well and leaving the room rather quickly. Ella tried to catch Scorpius' eye, but his brow was furrowed and his eyes downcast as he followed Hugo up the stairs.

"I suppose that's our cue to get some sleep too," James said, standing and yawning as he did so, the previous conversation all but forgotten.

"Right," said Ella, suddenly overwhelmed by every little thing that had happened in the past twenty-four hours and trying to make sense of it all. "I'll head up in a minute."

James nodded, hesitating a moment before thinking better of whatever it was he'd thought to say or do before he turned and made his way up the stairs.

Ella knew that James' suspicions were unfounded. Nothing was or ever would be going on between Rose and Scorpius. However, she couldn't really deny that there'd been moments over the course of the day where they'd both acted strange, not that any of the incidents were even related. She was just too tired to try and figure out what it all meant.

Besides, no matter what James thought he saw or heard, it was impossible for Scorpius Malfoy to ever take a fancy to Rose Weasley.


	16. The Exhausted Redhead

"Has James been acting odd lately?" Ella asked her sister. It was a few weeks after their trip to Tutshill, Penelope and Eddie were keeping mostly to themselves, Helen and Cassie were both consistently cheerful, and James had been in a funk for weeks.

It had come as a great relief to Ella when Albus and Sarah had shown up in London with their children in tow the first week of May. Albus always tried to be in town for the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, knowing it was a hard time for his family. Ella's brother-in-law was currently out having lunch with his father and brother, leaving Sarah to spend some time with her sister on a Saturday afternoon. Neville had taken Henry to look at some of the plants he kept in his study, giving the girls some private time to talk as they entertained the now seven-month-old Eleanor while sitting on the couch by the fire.

"Odd how?" Sarah asked as she dug around in a bag to find a snack for her somewhat fussy daughter, who was sitting on her lap.

"Just different," Ella said with shrug. "Some days I'd say he's been more optimistic than normal, and others I'd say I've never seen him quite so grumpy. It's like he's having mood swings."

Sarah chuckled, smiling at her daughter as she started to munch happily on her snack of what looked like puréed peas.

"Maybe the stress of the end of the season is getting to him," said Sarah. "They actually have a shot to win the league this year, so I'm sure he's feeling the pressure."

"Probably," Ella said with a sigh, hoping that was all it was but not entirely convinced. "Have you been able to spend time with Rose yet?"

Sarah smiled, nodding happily. "We had dinner last night. I hadn't seen her since just after Christmas. She came out and visited for a few days before she came here."

"Don't you think it's strange that she found time to visit you and Al over the years but not to come and visit her parents?"

"Well, Ron and Hermione took a lot of trips to see her, so I'm guessing she never felt like she had to."

Ella let out a hum of acknowledgement at this, not sure what to make of the situation.

"She seems a little out of sorts too," Ella couldn't help commenting. "Is she doing alright?"

"She's fine," Sarah said with an unconvincing smile, handing the spoon she'd been using to feed her daughter over to Ella.

"Doesn't sound like it," Ella said knowingly as she began making faces at her niece, trying to get her to open her mouth as she fed her. "I feel like she's more reserved than she used to be. Just overall not so confident."

"Whatever Rose is dealing with, I'm sure she'll be just fine," Sarah assured her sister, the look she was giving Ella clearly showing that she knew exactly what was going on with Rose and that it was none of Ella's business.

"You're no fun," Ella complained as she cleaned off her niece's face with a damp cloth.

"And you're too nosy," Sarah said with a chuckle. "I have a question, though, and it's sort of about you so I'm actually allowed to ask."

Ella rolled her eyes at her sister, but encouraged her to ask away as she took her now clean niece into her arms.

"What do you think of Scorpius?"

To be honest, Ella had been expecting a question like this. Al and Sarah had met Scorpius earlier that morning, and Ella had been surprised at how uncomfortable the encounter had been. Al had seemed fine, but then he'd been distracted by Henry, who kept trying to run behind the bar and into the kitchen. Sarah, on the other hand, had almost seemed unsure of what to do with herself, even as she observed him almost calculatingly. The most surprising thing to Ella had been Scorpius' behavior. If Ella didn't know any better, she would have said he was trying to overcompensate for something, desperate to make a good impression.

"He's not normally that nervous," Ella clarified. "I don't know what that was all about. Everyone likes him, and I think he's really done us good. He helped me throw a party a few months ago, and he always livens up any environment he's in."

Sarah nodded, a small smile on her face as she digested her sister's words.

"James doesn't seem to be a fan, though," Ella couldn't help but add. This fact had continued to eat at her since she'd come to the definite conclusion a few weeks ago. James hadn't done anything to deny her accusation, and if anything, he'd been even more standoffish towards Scorpius than previously. Not that Scorpius really noticed or cared one way or the other. He'd been behaving a bit oddly too, preoccupied and listless.

"Is there a reason James doesn't like him?" Sarah asked.

"I haven't been able to work that one out, sadly."

Sarah nodded in acknowledgment, pausing in their conversation to make faces at her giggling daughter.

"You didn't really answer my question, though," said Sarah. "What do _you_ think of Scorpius?"

She was looking at her suggestively, and Ella cottoned on to what her sister was getting at. She let out an amused chuckle as she bounced her niece in her lap.

"I'll be honest, there was a bit of time there where I was convinced I thought quite a lot of him."

"But now?" Sarah pushed, anxious to hear the rest of what her sister had to say.

"You know, you're not the only one to think something's going on between me and Scorpius. Lily made it obvious she suspected something a few weeks ago."

"Does that mean there's something going on?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Ella said with a shrug, thinking about sharing her musings about Helen and Scorpius with her sister, but deciding against it. It had actually been a few weeks since she'd even thought about the subject. She'd said she wouldn't meddle, and she'd sort of lumped talking about it in general in with that. She wouldn't have even said anything to Lily if Lily hadn't said something first.

Sarah nodded, seeming unconvinced but letting it go.

"What do _you_ think of Scorpius?" Ella asked. Sarah thought for a moment, a small smile coming to her face as she reached out so her daughter could grab her finger.

"I like him," Sarah said confidently. "He's charming and seems kindhearted. But I think you're right to not get yourself all worked up about him. From what I've seen so far, you make good friends, but he's probably not the bloke for you."

It was slightly surprising to Ella that her sister would be this blunt about the subject, being one who didn't typically offer her opinion so willingly. It also made her feel oddly peaceful to have her sister's blessing in _not_ fancying Scorpius Malfoy.

"Now, if there was someone _else_ you'd taken a fancy to…" Sarah said suggestively. Ella stared blankly at her.

"Have someone in mind?"

Sarah shrugged, her expression innocent. "I just don't want you to be so intent on keeping your life the way it is that you let something pass you by."

Ella laughed at how unsubtle her sister was. "Sarah, I know you want to see me all happy and married, but I'm perfectly content with the way things are. I have the inn and my family and wonderful friends. I don't see why any of that needs to change."

Sarah smiled at her sister. "You haven't changed much over the years, have you?"

Ella chuckled. "Grown, maybe. But I wouldn't say changed."

They were joined not long after by the three men in the Potter family, Al going immediately to kiss his wife and then grabbing his daughter as she grinned and reached for him. Ella had to hold back an audible sigh at how adorable it was to see Al drop a kiss to Eleanor's blonde head as she held on to him tightly.

"How was lunch?" Sarah asked as James collapsed into the armchair next to her and Harry wandered off to find his grandson.

"Fine," James said with a sigh. "We ate in Muggle London so only a few people tried to stop Dad and talk to him, but we made it out alive."

"All around, not the worst outing we've had," said Al. "James actually got a bit of attention too."

James shot an annoyed look at his brother, who was smirking.

"What do you mean?" asked Ella.

"I mean some girl who was up at the bar sent him a drink," said Al before his brother could speak up. "And then stopped him as we were leaving to give him a napkin with her phone number."

Al was chuckling at his brother's expense as he sat in front of the fire, setting his daughter down on the floor so she could play with her toys. Sarah was laughing as well, most likely at the thoroughly displeased look on James' face.

"Oh, come on," said Sarah. "Is it the worst thing in the world if a girl pays you attention?"

James kept his eyes determinedly fixed on his niece as she tried to shove a block the size of an orange into her mouth. "No," he grumbled. "I'm used to fans pulling shit like that, but we were in Muggle London. Just sort of caught me off guard."

"You know, it really shouldn't be a surprise that women find you attractive," Sarah said reasonably.

James grinned at her. "I always knew you thought I was better looking than Al."

"Oi!" Al said indignantly from his place on the floor while everyone else laughed. "She does not!"

"Of course not, love," said Sarah in a falsely reassuring voice. Al rolled his eyes but still seemed amused.

"Seriously, though," said Sarah, turning her attention back to her brother-in-law. "I really don't understand why you're so opposed to dating. I feel like I can count on one hand the number of times you've gone out with someone."

"Look, I really would rather we not discuss my love life right now," said James, exasperation obvious in his tone as he glanced at Ella for a moment before directing his attention back to Sarah. "It's personal, all right?"

"But I'm your sister," said Sarah. "You should be able to talk to me about these things."

James gave a snort of amusement. "I barely talk to Lily about this kind of thing."

"Well I make more sense than Lily anyway," Sarah pointed out. "I actually know how to be in a relationship."

"Yeah, with Al," James pointed out. "And I don't think I need advice on how to be in a relationship with Al."

Sarah rolled her eyes but smiled. "Whatever. You just seem like you could use a change of pace, and there's nothing wrong with putting yourself out there."

"I know," he assured her. "And really, I'm fine."

Sarah looked at him questioningly for a minute before nodding. "All right. But if you ever do need to talk-"

"I'll be sure and let you know," he said with a grin. "Thanks, sis."

Sarah smiled before reaching out to grip his knee in sisterly affection. Ella tried not to frown. She'd observed the conversation with a bit of resentfulness towards her sister. The words James had said weeks ago that kept on coming back in complete clarity whenever it was made obvious to her that she and James weren't quite as close as she'd assumed, did so once again. Sarah was his sister, not Ella. The way he interacted with her was different, almost more comfortable, and it made Ella ache to see it.

Because she thought that they had been like that, up until recently. In fact, it was probably around the time Scorpius came to town that things shifted. But she couldn't understand why. It wasn't as if she'd replaced James with Scorpius. At least, that hadn't been her intention. Either way, she just wanted to get back to what they used to be. Where they had moments like the one at Christmas when they'd been able to forgive and forget and move on and know they'd always be there for each other. The moments where she felt like she could talk to him about anything.

And one of the strangest things to Ella was that she didn't even necessarily need James to claim her as family or tell her she was like a sister to him. The thought of that didn't actually sit quite well. Because she couldn't ignore the fact that what they had was different from what he had with Lily or even Sarah. It was different even from what she had with Al. She couldn't say what it was that made it different, but it was special and it was theirs. And she wanted it back.

Ella watched as her niece grew bored of watching her father stack blocks on top of each other, crawling over to a book that was sitting by James' chair. She grabbed it before sitting down and looking around, her eyes settling on her uncle and reaching up for him as a babble escaped her mouth. It was impossible not to smile at the sight as James reached down and grabbed his niece, pulling her and the book into his lap.

"Now this is the type of female attention I'll never complain about," he said as he kissed Elanor's head while she attempted to open the book.

"You could have one of your own if you weren't so opposed to other types of female attention," Sarah couldn't help saying in a knowing voice. James shot her a look.

"I know," he said, suddenly sounding more serious than he had before. "And maybe I will someday. I'm just waiting for it to be right."

No one said anything else after that as James attempted to read to his niece, who had a habit of trying to turn the page before he was quite done with it. Al got up and offered to make tea, which all of them agreed to. Sarah tidied up a bit, since they would all be heading over to the Potters' in a few hours and Eleanor had a nap to take before then.

And Ella did her best not to be obvious as she watched James with Eleanor, knowing that one day he'd make an excellent father, and unable to keep herself from wondering what he'd meant when he said he was only waiting for things to be right.

Right person? Right timing?

If he meant person, she selfishly hoped that he wouldn't meet her for a little while still. She wasn't a big fan of change and that would be a very difficult one to adapt to. And if he meant timing, Ella didn't even want to think about what that could possibly mean.

What if he'd found her already?

* * *

The postponed trip to Sussex was rescheduled for the week after Al and Sarah's visit. Cassie had once again taken on the responsibility of managing the inn, and did so happily.

"It's nice and peaceful and I enjoy the work," Cassie had explained. "Plus, David comes and sits in one of the booths most of the day, reading or working on things. It's just been nice to have him around again."

Helen and Ella had gratefully accepted Cassie's offer to work with Gina over the weekend, something that they normally took turns doing. As excited as Ella and Helen both were to spend the day at the cliffs overlooking the sea, it almost felt as if they were the only ones looking forward to it.

James seemed to be going begrudgingly, Hugo and Lily were so thoroughly annoyed by Penelope and Eddie that they almost backed out, Rose was stressed due to what she claimed to be work, and Scorpius was restless and hit or miss when it came to being in a good mood. Hermione and Anne were the only parents who were planning on coming, and the former had been getting on Ella's nerves more than normal lately with all her vocal concern for her daughter's health, while the latter hadn't been feeling well for the past week.

Ella was beginning to think that the day out almost wouldn't be worth it, especially considering how short lived Penelope's absence from the pub had been. Her presence had been renewed with full force, and none had suffered more than Rose.

"Darling, you said the other day that all of the work you've been doing at the Ministry will be wrapping up soon," Penelope said to Rose as they sat at the bar the night before their trip. "You _have_ to make a decision about what you're going to do with your future, and we're running out of time to get you that job that just opened up in my brother's department."

"I'm just still not sure," Rose had insisted, though not as forcefully as she could have. "They've offered to let me stay on here longer and work on a deal they're trying to put together with Australia."

"Is it a promotion?" Penelope asked. "Will you get a pay raise? Because it's not worth it if you don't. The position my brother is offering pays _much_ more than what you're doing now. And it comes with the added bonus of being in Paris."

"I know," said Rose, her tone longsuffering as she stared into her wine. Ella was having a very difficult time not feeling all sorts of sympathy for Rose. She looked exhausted and haggard and ready to give up.

"Well, you _really_ must think about it _quite_ seriously. This is your _livelihood_ we're talking about."

With that, Penelope stood and excused herself to "powder her nose," Rose leaning heavily against the bar the moment she'd left.

"Do you want another?" Ella asked, moving to stand in front of Rose and nodding towards her almost empty glass of wine. Rose shook her head.

"No," she said, her voice shaky as she downed the rest of her drink. "No, I think I'll be going."

"Oh, but we were going to finalize plans for tomorrow when James and Scorpius got here," said Ella, not really wanting to make her stay but feeling it necessary to point this out.

"I'm sorry," said Rose as she stood and put on her jacket, her eyes wet as she seemed to be holding back tears, "but I can't do this right now."

"Wait, you're not all right," said Ella, suddenly feeling an overwhelming need to make sure Rose was okay. "Why don't you just go up to my flat and rest a bit so you don't have to go out in the rain. I can tell Penelope you've gone home and-"

"No, thank you," Rose insisted, wiping hastily at her eyes. "I just…I can't-"

"You're exhausted," Ella insisted. "Just-"

"I'm not sure exhausted even covers it anymore," said Rose, her eyes vulnerable as she zipped up her jacket and looked at Ella. "I can handle physical fatigue as well as the next person, but this…"

She rested her hands on the bar, staring intently at them before composing herself and looking at Ella pleadingly.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this."

Ella looked at Rose in alarm, the weariness that wracked her body more evident than ever before. Her eyes were vulnerable, dark circles under them that betrayed just how emotionally drained she was. This wasn't entirely news to Ella. Rose had seemed out of sorts for weeks, and the fact that Hermione had come into the pub the day before to drone on about how much she hoped a day out of the city would help lift Rose's spirits was enough to keep the fact fresh in her mind.

"If you want to be helpful to me at all," she continued, "you'll just let me go, and tell… the others that I was needed at home when they get here. Please."

Ella nodded, unable to think of any other way to get her to stay, and then Rose was walking out the door and into the damp spring evening, passing James and ignoring him calling after her as she went.

"What's wrong with Rose?" James asked as he took a place at the bar.

"I'd tell you if I could," Ella said with a sigh. James looked at her skeptically.

"I would," Ella assured him. "I tried to get her to go upstairs and rest for a bit, since she seemed so tired, but she wanted to leave."

Penelope reappeared at the bar before James could say anything else, quickly enquiring about Rose. This seemed to help James understand a bit more of the situation, and he looked at Ella in understanding as she explained Rose's absence.

"Oh, well, I suppose I should be getting along then," said Penelope, who hadn't had many kind words to say to James since the night he'd put her in her place at his house in Tutshill. She quickly bid them goodnight, promising to meet them at the pub in the morning so they could Apparate to the cliffs together.

"And what a joy it will be," said Ella as soon as they saw the back of her. "No chance we could head out early and leave them behind?"

James chuckled. "Even you aren't that rude."

Ella gave an annoyed huff, but turned cheerful again a moment later as Scorpius walked in. Her pleasure at seeing him quickly slipped away when she took note of the rather foul mood he was in as he sat next to James at the bar.

"I bloody hate the rain."

"You could have taken the Floo," Ella said with a raised brow in response to his grumbling. He ignored her comment.

"I passed Rose on the way here. Didn't even have her hood up. Madness."

Ella shared an amused and slightly exasperated look with James as Scorpius continued to grumble.

"It'll probably rain tomorrow too and then our day will be ruined."

"If you're going to have such a bad attitude about it, you don't have to come," said Ella, her tone almost challenging. The crease in Scorpius' brow relaxed at her words and his lips threatened to twitch into a smile, but then his sour mood was back a moment later.

"I'm sick of staying in one place for such a long time," he said with a sigh. "I used to travel back and forth from Lyon to Paris all the time, even going to Marseille and Bordeaux to work with clients or take a few days holiday. I'm not used to just staying in one city for so long."

"Well, lucky for you, we're actually planning on leaving the dreaded city tomorrow, or has the rain made you reconsider your decision to join us?"

James' tone was friendly enough as he spoke to Scorpius, but Ella knew better, so she sent him a quick scowl for good measure. Scorpius was too caught up in his own misery to notice.

"No, I'll go," he grumbled, taking a long drink from the butterbeer Ella had just placed in front of him.

"Good," said Ella, smiling at Scorpius and willing him to do the same as she leaned on the barm. "We'll pack a wonderful picnic lunch filled with all the best foods, have some wine and maybe play some cards and enjoy the views, and it might just be enough to lift even your sour spirits."

This finally managed to crack a smile from Scorpius, and he leaned closer to her, resting his arms on the bar. "As lovely as all that sounds, your presence is all I need to greatly improve my mood."

Ella laughed. "Good for everyone else that I'll be around, then," she said teasingly. Scorpius chuckled as he took another drink of his beverage.

"We still good to meet at ten?" James asked with a sigh. "I've had a rather strenuous day and I'd like to call it a night as soon as possible, so if we could get this all settled?"

Ella gave him a pointed look, trying to mask how disappointed she was that he was insisting on being disagreeable. "Is my presence not enough to improve your mood as well?"

James rolled his eyes, and Ella caught the smallest of lifts at the corner of his mouth before it was gone. "Let's just get it all settled, yeah?"

They talked out logistics of who would be in charge of bringing what and how they wanted to spend the day, and they were done in five minutes. True to his word, James left to head to his room as soon as things were finalized.

"Here's hoping tomorrow pulls everyone out of their funks," said Ella as she watched James walk away.

"What?" Scorpius said distractedly, his gaze focused on the almost empty glass in front of him as he didn't really show any interest in what Ella had to say. She heaved a sigh, hoping that tomorrow would at least be enjoyable for some people.

* * *

 **A/N: And another quick update! Hope you enjoy. This is what you might call the calm before the storm. Reviews are always appreciated!**


	17. The Loose Lipped Landlady

As Scorpius had predicted, it rained the next day as well.

They'd all gathered at the Leaky before Apparating in pairs to the spot James had scouted out and designated a few days earlier. It wasn't raining quite as heavily in Sussex, but it was still dreary and threatened to begin pouring at any moment.

The upside to this was that no one else was out and about, leaving them with the freedom to pull their wands and cast some impervious charms to help keep themselves dry.

"There's no mud in Rome," Ella heard Penelope grumble to Eddie behind her as they were walking towards the cliffs, and she quickly hurried up to walk with Scorpius and Anne instead, leaving the happy couple to bring up the rear.

James was leading the way with Helen by his side, who looked like she was trying to enjoy herself despite having to walk against the wind. Lily and Hugo were walking just behind them, followed by Rose and Hermione.

"This is bloody miserable," Scorpius grumbled, pulling his hood back up after it blew off his head.

"It's not too bad," said Ella, trying hard to be optimistic. Scorpius just gave a grunt of either agreement or indifference.

They spent what felt like hours walking along the cliffs and taking in the view of the rapidly moving water, though it was probably much less time than that. Despite the rather tense atmosphere, Ella truly enjoyed the view. She'd never really seen such a large body of water before, and it was breathtaking.

"Shall we stop over there and have some lunch?" Hugo asked after roughly a couple hours of walking, pointing to a cluster of trees that would offer some better cover. The wind had died down, but the rain was still falling in steady drops. His suggestion was heartily agreed to, and Anne produced a blanket for them to sit on while Hermione cast an impervious charm over their heads to keep out the rain.

Ella had been in charge of the food and quickly conjured the basket she'd prepared the day before as everyone made themselves comfortable on the lumpy ground under the tree.

It was uncomfortably silent as food and drinks were passed around. Even Hermione wasn't trying to fill the tense silence, though Ella could tell she wanted to. No one seemed to be in a good mood that day, the weather most likely not helping things. The general attitude annoyed Ella to no end. This was a day she'd been looking forward to for months, yet her companions seemed fixated on making it miserable. She could easily guess that the presence of Eddie and Penelope played a large role in their dismal demeanors, but Ella couldn't be blamed for that. She wasn't the one who'd let the plans of their day slip.

It wasn't until Scorpius had had enough that the silence finally ended.

"We owe it to you, really, that we're all here today," he said to Ella, a teasing smile on his face as he looked up at her from his prone position on the ground. He was propped up on his elbows and had been surveying their glum companions before speaking.

"I'm not sure if that's meant to be a compliment or not," said Ella

"Of course it is," he said in mock astonishment. "You hold an infinite amount of influence over people. Not many others could get a group to go out on a day like this, yet you managed to succeed."

"Thank you for your flattery," Ella said with a chuckle, "but you might not have noticed that no one else seems to be enjoying themselves. It also appears they've lost the ability to speak."

"I learned at a young age to keep silent if I don't wish to offend anyone," Penelope said dismissively, and you could practically hear everyone's astonishment at her words, though no they all remained silent.

"Perhaps that means she's normally trying to offend people on purpose," Scorpius whispered to Ella, but his words carried in the silence.

"I'm having a perfectly lovely time," said Hermione with a forced smile, doing her best to keep the peace. She was mostly ignored as no one seemed to know what to say in response. Ella glanced around to see Rose staring down at her lap, almost as if wishing to go unnoticed. Her brother was watching her closely, and Lily was watching Hugo curiously. Eddie looked bored beyond belief from his position next to his fiancé, and Helen kept glancing at James as if waiting for him to take the lead in how to respond to the current situation. Anne seemed torn between holding her tongue and scolding Scorpius.

"They are rather bored looking, aren't they?" Scorpius said after another minute of silence. He glanced around as people squirmed uncomfortably in their seats, attempting to appear busy eating or drinking.

"Right," he said, adjusting himself so he was sitting up and facing them all. "I have been instructed to force you all to enjoy yourselves. Anyone have anything interesting to say? Your minds must be going all sorts of places with all the thinking they've been allowed to do the past few minutes."

"Bit hard to think with you prattling on," Ella heard James grumble. She threw him a look as Helen held back a giggle, but Scorpius didn't appear to have quite caught what James had said.

"Well," said Hermione after a reproving glance towards her nephew, "I was thinking about the fact that May is actually the rainiest month in Sussex, so it's not really surprising that it's raining today. I was also thinking about how sad Ron will be that he missed having some of Sally's shepherd's pie today, though he would have hated being out in the rain."

She fell silent, glancing around and hoping someone else would follow her lead. Ella was hoping the same, if only because it meant Hermione wouldn't be compelled to speak again.

"I make it a point never to say exactly what I'm thinking," said Penelope, sending a pointed look Scorpius' way. Ella failed to reign in a disbelieving snort of amusement.

"I'm not sure you really want to know what we're thinking," said James, his expression blank as he watched Ella. She could tell he wasn't exactly approving of her behavior, but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. As far as she could tell, she was doing nothing wrong, and he wasn't exactly behaving well himself.

"Why's that?" Scorpius challenged, his eyes fixed on James. He shrugged in response, his expression innocent yet still harsh. Ella watched uncertainly as they continued to stare each other, their gazes turning into glares. Scorpius only broke their standoff when Rose started coughing.

"You all right, dear?" Hermione asked immediately, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to her daughter as she sniffled.

"Fine," said Rose, acception the handkerchief a bit reluctantly. "I think I'm just catching a bit of a cold."

"Do you need to head back?" asked Scorpius, his brow furrowed in concern as Rose shook her head.

"Maybe you should, Rose," her mother said worriedly, causing Ella to roll her eyes. Rose was a grown woman and could take care of herself just fine. Ella couldn't image how incredibly aggravating it was for Rose to have a mother hovering over her all the time. No wonder she'd stayed in France for so long. Ella felt proud of Rose when she insisted once again that she was perfectly fine and had no need to be going back just yet.

"Well, if we're all determined to be here," Scorpius continued in a slightly exasperated tone, "someone should at least say something entertaining or interesting," he implored them. "There has to be something amusing swirling around in your brains."

"Yes, you've all been excessively dull so far," said Ella, joining in his goading of the group, not fully realizing the effect her words and behavior were having as Hermione flinched subtly. "I would've just come by myself if I'd realized how boring you all would be."

There was an uncomfortable silence that Ella was determined to not let faze her. If they were all determined to make the day unpleasant, so be it.

"This is right up your alley, Aunt Hermione," Lily finally said, smiling encouragingly at her aunt. "You always have something interesting to say since you're so brilliant."

Hermione smiled gratefully at her niece, the slightly hurt expression on her face falling away momentarily, until Ella spoke up once again.

"Perhaps that means she's normally excessively dull on purpose."

Ella had said it quietly to Scorpius, just as he'd made his comment about Penelope to her. But just like his jab, hers was heard by the group, and the silence turned even more uncomfortable as Ella laughed and Scorpius chuckled along with her.

She realized her mistake a moment too late, turning back to the group after her aside to Scorpius and seeing a combination of shock, anger, and hurt on their faces. The worst of all was Hermione, who was looking at the girl whom she'd known since the day she was born as if she couldn't believe someone that she'd always thought to be considerate and caring could be so carelessly cruel.

"Well, you'll have to excuse me and Eddie," said Penelope haughtily, patting her fiancé's knee a bit patronizingly. "And probably everyone else as well. If someone as brilliant as Hermione Weasley can have nothing to say that would interest Miss Longbottom, I hardly think we'd be equal to such a task."

Ella felt the dagger she'd carelessly plunged into her own gut twist in deeper at Penelope's words.

"I think you're right, darling," said Eddie, his gaze fixed sharply on Ella. "I don't think I could ever have anything to say that Ella would like to hear."

With one last look of condescension, he turned to his fiancé and offered her his hand, asking if she'd like to take one last look around before heading back. Penelope turned to request Rose come with them as they stood, but she was ignored. They left in a bit of a huff, but no one was sad to see them go.

"They go together quite well, don't you think?" Scorpius said sarcastically as the future Mr, and Mrs. Finnigan walked away. "Rather lucky for them they managed to reconnect. Bit surprising that they got engaged so quickly, but, then again, they were in the romantic setting of Rome. Foreign cities can do that to you."

"Do what?" Hugo asked challengingly.

"Cause you to forget yourself," Scorpius said with a shrug. "Attach yourself to someone without knowing where they come from or what they're like amongst their own people and families. It's hard to properly know a person after only a short amount of time spent in each other's company. They can show you any side of themself that they'd like without revealing the whole truth, and then what? You eventually see them for who they really are, but what if it's too late?"

Ella nodded in agreement, hardly sure what she was agreeing to as her heart hammered. The day had gone so far from according to plan and she could only see it spiraling further out of control. She hoped Scorpius would be able to salvage things.

"I'm sure many people have committed themselves prematurely only to come to regret it," said Scorpius, his eyes downcast as he tore at a roll, the rest of his food mostly untouched.

"I-"

Ella looked up in surprise at Rose's voice. Of all the people she thought would be contributing to the conversation, she hadn't expected Rose. The redhead glanced around nervously before fixing her gaze determinedly on Scorpius, who met it with a steady gaze of his own.

"I think you're right," she forced out, her voice shaky at first but growing stronger. "There are plenty of people who wind up in over their head because they get swept up in the romance of it all. They make choices they regret, but it's not impossible to recover from. You have forever to do so, if need be."

She paused, her attitude resigned as she continued.

"I suppose it's only people with weak characters that are determined not to find happiness again."

Scorpius was watching her intently, his jaw clenched as he absentmindedly fiddled with the dinner roll in his hands. "You think you could do it, then?" he asked in a surprisingly subdued voice. "Find happiness again?"

Rose held his gaze for a few very still moments, and then she nodded, her expression determined. Ella only had a few seconds to try and figure out what exactly had just happened before Scorpius pulled his gaze away from Rose, popping part of the roll into his mouth before lying down on his back. He placed his head in Ella's lap and looked up at the trees.

"Well," he said, "it's all a bit more trouble than it's worth, don't you think? Going through all that heartache. I'd rather someone just tell me, 'here, this is the one for you,' and be done with it. You could do that for me, right?"

He was looking up at Ella questioningly, a teasing smirk on his face.

"I hear you're quite the matchmaker. And I trust your tastes implicitly. I have no doubt you'll make a fine choice for me."

Ella chuckled, shaking her head at his ridiculous notions as she tugged teasingly on his ear.

"I think I'm ready to head back now too," Rose said to her mother, standing and offering a hand to help Hermione up. The older witch took it gratefully. Ella had refrained from looking at her since she'd made her earlier comment, but she found it impossible to continue ignoring her now. Her heart dropped into her stomach to see that Hermione looked so distressed.

"Sounds like a good plan," said Hugo, rising to join his mother and sister. Anne stood and followed after them, saying she wasn't feeling well and wished to go home too. She gave Ella a sympathetic look before leaving, though there was disappointment there as well.

"Want to take one last look?" Lily said to Helen, who smiled and nodded in agreement, asking James if he'd care to join them. Ella knew he was watching her, most likely in harsh judgment, but she couldn't meet his eyes as he stood to join Helen and Lily, all of them walking off towards the cliffs.

"What an unpleasant bunch," said Scorpius with a sigh as he sat up and rested his arms on his knees. "Can't believe they want to continue walking in this rain. It doesn't rain half this much in other parts of the world. Maybe I'll try living somewhere dry. I'm sick of all this dreariness."

Ella sighed, no longer feeling any wish to remain by Scorpius' side. Not while he was behaving so petulantly.

"I think I'll go see the view again as well," said Ella.

"What? And leave me all alone? Stay and keep me company."

Ella shook her head, standing and starting to walk off before he could say anything else. She passed Hugo on her way towards the cliffs, giving him a questioning look as he made his way back towards where Scorpius was still sitting. He ignored her, and Ella continued on her way, but she couldn't help glancing over her shoulder, watching in confusion as Scorpius stood to face Hugo, who appeared to begin speaking rather harshly to Scorpius. Ella let out a sigh before turning back around and headed towards the cliffs. She had no clue what that was all about, but there was too much on her mind already to even try to begin contemplating anything else.

As she continued to walk, everything played on repeat in Ella's head. The general demeanor of everyone going into the outing; Scorpius' comment about Penelope; the way both of them had openly goaded everyone; her words about Hermione; the tense moments between James and Scorpius and whatever was going on with Rose. Only about half those things had anything to do with her. Everything had seemed so horrible to Ella moments ago, but maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought. Maybe-

The sound of someone approaching reached her ears, and she turned her back on the cliffs to face James as he strode towards her, Helen and Lily now off in the distance heading towards their Apparition point and Hugo and Scorpius nowhere in sight.

"I suppose we should all be heading back," said Ella, attempting to act like nothing was wrong and knowing it would fail in distracting James. Not when he was looking at her the way he was. His brow was furrowed and his hands clenched as the rain began to fall harder.

"I can hardly believe it, Ella," he hissed at her. "I can hardly believe that you'd behave the way you did today. I never would have expected you to be so flippant about someone's feelings. How could you say something like that about Hermione? And right in front of her, no less!"

"I'm sorry," she snapped, her humiliation getting the best of her and causing her to lash out in return, "but it wasn't as horrible as you're making it out to be. And I doubt she even really took it to heart."

"Of course she did!" James shouted at her. "Didn't you see the look on her face? She's one of the most caring people I've ever known. That _you've_ ever known! And for as long as I can remember, she's done nothing but look out for the people in her life, which includes you!"

Ella flinched at his harsh words, wanting to claim they weren't true but knowing just how accurate they were.

"And this is how you repay her?" James continued, his face betraying how completely ridiculous her behavior had been. "Acting like she's some joke? Using her as a punchline to impress someone and make yourself look better? She deserves more respect than that! Not just because she's older or works for the bloody Minister of Magic, but because she also happens to be a war hero too, in case you forgot!"

"James," Ella began, her voice weak and barely carrying through the sound of the rain.

"She's been through far more than you could ever imagine, and you wouldn't have the life you do today if it wasn't for her," he continued as if she hadn't spoken. "She helped save the bloody world, and you know what it cost her! You know she was tortured, and you know what that's done to affect her mind a bit over the years! I'd think that you'd be more sympathetic to that with your family history, but maybe I thought wrong."

Ella's breath caught in her throat, her eyes closing to block out the rain and the look of utter disappointment on his face. She opened them once again at the sound of his scoff, seeing him shake his head in disappointment.

"If there was anyone here today that deserved to be ridiculed for ridiculous behavior," he said with conviction, "it was you."

By now, tears were threatening to fall down Ella's cheeks. She hadn't been thinking when she spoke, but that wouldn't serve as a good excuse for James, so she didn't give it. She just stared silently and imploringly at him.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," he said, pointing at her accusingly. "You say it's such a shame that people are able to judge others so harshly, yet you turn around and do it yourself. You claim that we're like family, yet you treat my aunt - who happens to be my bloody godmother - like she's just something for you to conveniently laugh at. I've always known you don't have as much respect for her as you should, but I never thought you'd be so brazen about it. You should be ashamed."

Ella wanted to say something, apologize again, make James get that look of affection on his face that she felt was reserved only for her. The one that popped up whenever he thought she'd done something adorable, and the one that he gave her when he wasn't quite sure she'd ever grow up. There were times when she'd been annoyed by that look, but she found she now craved it. Craved to know that she hadn't screwed things up beyond repair.

He turned away without another word, leaving Ella to cry openly and to wonder how things could have possibly gone so horribly wrong.

* * *

 **A/N: Oof. Don't hate me. Or Ella. Although I'd understand if you do. This was a very difficult chapter to write since I wanted to get it just right. I hope I did. Let me know! I'm very anxious to get the rest this story posted, so if I get enough people clamoring for the next chapter, maybe it'll pop up very soon *wink***

 **Only five more chapters and an epilogue left!**

 **Happy Reading and Reviewing!**


	18. The Understanding War Hero

After James had confronted her, it didn't take long for Ella to completely regret her behavior, and apologizing to Hermione quickly became her number one concern.

She never should have been so careless. When would she learn that it was within her power to cause people pain? Easily? And that she'd done so more frequently than she'd ever care to admit?

Anne had stopped by the inn later that same evening, coming up to Ella's flat with a dual purpose, despite the fact that she still wasn't feeling well. Not only did she come to make sure Ella knew how disappointed she was - both in Ella and herself for not having taught her better - but also to ensure her that she loved her and knew she'd make it right. She made Ella promise to do so as soon as possible, and Ella fully intended to follow through.

Not only was she going to have to make it up to Hermione, but her children had witnessed Ella's childish behavior as well. Not to mention James and Lily. It wouldn't do for her not to apologize to them for how rude she'd been to their mother and aunt. Might as well apologize to Helen for her immaturity while she was at it.

She didn't care quite as much what Penelope and Eddie thought of her. And she could just picture the smug look on Penelope's face if she were to stoop to apologizing to them for her behavior. It had been Scorpius' who'd made the jab about Penelope anyway.

The days in between the trip to Sussex and the following Saturday morning when she finally had the opportunity to speak with Hermione were painful. Ella was walking around with what she knew to be a rather depressing attitude. Helen did her best to be optimistic, telling Ella that she was sure everything would work itself out. Cassie hadn't been informed of the events in Sussex, though she could pick up on the mood and was careful not to say or do anything to upset Ella more. Scorpius seemed to sense he couldn't help make things better, and was mostly steering clear, his temperament having failed to improve.

Lily had returned to Devon for the week following their trip to help her grandmother plant her garden, but had stopped by the Leaky before doing so. Their conversation had gone much the same as the one she later had with Hugo.

Hugo had finally stopped by the following Friday, and Ella had rushed to pull him back into the kitchen with her so she could apologize profusely, tears gathering in her eyes as she went on about how awful she'd been and how much she wanted to make it up to all of them. Thankfully, he'd been his usual forgiving and understanding self, but made it clear that he wasn't happy about it and that he wouldn't be letting it go until she apologized to his mother.

Ella hadn't seen Rose or James at all.

It was with an anxious feeling in her stomach and a hot shepherd's pie in her arms that she knocked on the door of Ron and Hermione's home on Saturday afternoon. She saw the curtains of one of the upstairs windows flutter, signaling someone had seen her, and she almost gave up and left after having to knock a second time. But then Ron was at the door, standing in the gap and looking at her with a cold expression that she assumed he usually reserved for the dark wizards he hunted.

"Hi," said Ella in a small voice. "I brought you all a shepherd's pie. I know it's your favorite."

She lifted it as if to offer it to him, but he continued to stare at her.

"Is Hermione home?" she asked after an awkward pause.

"She is," he said simply, his voice not quite so cold as his stare.

"May I come in?" she asked in a last desperate attempt to be received. Ron let out a sigh before opening the door wider and beckoning her in. Ella gave him a grateful smile as he led her into the kitchen, where she placed the dish she carried on the table.

"Wait here," Ron instructed. "I'll see if she's got a moment."

Ella nodded, not even feeling at liberty to take a seat as he left the room, relaxing a bit in the silence of the kitchen.

She'd always liked the many Weasley homes, but Ron and Hermione's had always been her favorite. It was homey and magical, but it had such an intriguing dose of Muggle to it that it fascinated her. Glancing around the kitchen, she saw familiar Muggle appliances that she couldn't remember the names of, as well as a telephone sitting on a small table by the back door. The room was almost spotless, which wasn't surprising. Not only was Hermione extremely well put together, but Ella also knew she wasn't one to do much cooking.

The door swung open again after what felt like half an hour, but was more likely only five minutes.

Hermione was more presentable than most people would be on a Saturday, dressed in a skirt and a blouse that Ella would expect to see her wearing throughout the week as she went to and from work. Her hair was tamed, though somehow still it's usual wild self, and the only way Ella could work out that there'd been anything in recent days to distress her was the hollow look she was giving her.

Ella, for her part, knew she looked a mess. She'd been unable to find anything nicer than a somewhat worn pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, and her hair was pulled rather sloppily into a ponytail. It made her feel smaller than she already did next to Hermione Weasley, which was probably a good thing.

They watched each other silently, both still standing. Hermione's face wasn't as severe as her husband's, as there was a vulnerability to it that Ella hated being the cause of. She expected that she looked on the verge of tears herself, and she worked hard to school her features to be not quite so pleading. She didn't want Hermione forgiving her out of pity.

"I…I brought you a shepherd's pie," Ella finally said. "I know it's Ron's favorite."

"Thank you," said Hermione, her voice measured and calm. "That was thoughtful."

She moved further into the kitchen, going to the cabinets and retrieving plates and forks and glasses. With a wave of her wand, the dishes and cutlery flew to the table as she moved to grab a pitcher of water from the fridge. Ella couldn't help noticing there were only three plates, and as she knew Hugo was working late at the shop that night, she assumed this meant she wasn't about to be invited to dine with Ron, Hermione, and Rose.

"You get that from your mother," said Hermione, her tone a bit more conversational as she filled the glasses, though still a bit distant. "She was thoughtful to a fault."

Ella felt herself relax a bit at the mention of her mother. It wasn't often that people who knew her talked about her so openly.

"I still remember the first time I had this shepherd's pie," Hermione continued. "It was about five years after the war. Ron and I hadn't even been married a year, and your mother brought it over for us. We'd been having a rough time and… well, she was always doing stuff like that for people."

Ella had so many questions, but she held her tongue, not wanting to ruin things once again. Hermione set down the pitcher and braced her hands on the back of one of the chairs.

"Your mother knew how to take care of people," Hermione continued, her eyes on Ella, "and during that time, she was there for me. I… I know you know I have my problems thanks to the war, but what I went through affected me in a lot of ways. One of them being my ability to have children."

Ella looked at Hermione with a confused expression. What did she mean? She had two perfectly healthy children. Unless…

"We lost two before Rose," Hermione continued, shocking Ella with her honesty. "I suppose that's why I've always been so eager to see my daughter doing well and hoping for the best for her. She was a bit of a miracle. I love Hugo just as much, of course, but he's always been closer with his dad anyway. And he gets annoyed when I pester him."

A faint smile flickered across Hermione's face, but it was gone a moment later.

"Anyway," she said with a sigh, her gaze which had started drifting around the room going back to Ella, "your mother was my rock during that time. Ginny was there too, but she had James and it was hard sometimes. And then Hannah and I ended up pregnant together and she really helped me through it, seeing as I was so terrified it would go the same way as the first two."

She was looking at Ella almost fondly now, though she could still see some pain in Hermione's eyes.

"I suppose that's why I always wanted to try and look out for you. Pay her back for taking such good care of me."

Ella hastily wiped the tears that had suddenly gathered in her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice trembling as she failed to control her tears. "I-I behaved like a c-cow to you. And you let me into your house and-and talk to me about my mother, and you're so kind. And you've always been that way. And I've been dreadful. I've never treated you with the respect you deserve. Especially seeing as how you really _have_ done your best to look after me since my… since my Mum…"

Ella felt herself fully burst into tears as she was wrapped in a comforting and secure embrace. The gesture shocked and touched her, and she gripped the older witch's back as she sobbed into her shoulder.

"Oh, Ella," Hermione whispered as she held her. "You must miss her so much."

And then Ella was crying uncontrollably, the grief she'd never truly experienced pouring through her as she realized how no one could have ever replaced the presence of her mother in her life. No one could look at her the way Hermione looked at Rose. As much as Anne loved her, she couldn't look at Ella and tell her she got any of her traits from her. No matter how proud Ginny was of her, it wasn't in the same way that she was of Lily. She knew she had her father and she'd be forever grateful for that, but there was something special about a mother's love that she'd never realized she desperately wanted until that moment. It was a shock to realize that she didn't resent Rose for being the perfect daughter; she resented her for having the perfect mother.

"I know she would have been proud of you," said Hermione softly, continuing to hold Ella and stroking her hair gently. Ella couldn't help letting out a pessimistic scoff as her tears calmed.

"No she wouldn't. Not with the way I've been treating people lately."

Hermione pulled away from her, pulling out her wand and conjuring a handkerchief that she handed over to Ella. "We all make mistakes, Ella. We're all selfish people. But not all of us are able to show humility and remorse. And you've done far more to make her proud than any small disappointments could ever overshadow. You're doing better than you think you are."

Ella gave a grateful laugh of relief as she dabbed at her eyes, trying to keep her sniffling to a minimum. "I appreciate that. Not sure James feels the same, though. You should've seen the way he looked at me, not to mention what he said."

To her surprise, Hermione laughed before saying, "Trust me, it won't be long before he comes around. I think it's rather impossible for him to stay away from you."

Ella gave her a grateful smile, not sure if she could believe her. "Maybe," she said with a sigh, "but I know making things right with you will go a long way to mend things with him. Not that that's my reason for doing so," she hastily assured her.

"No, I understand what you mean," Hermione assured her, gripping her hand. "And you're forgiven, by the way. We all make mistakes, and yours wasn't a detrimental one."

"Thank you," said Ella, and she felt all the tension leaving her, a mix between a sigh and laugh of relief accompanying her words.

"Now, what do you say we dig into this shepherd's pie?" said Hermione. "I know Ron's mouth has been watering since you showed up."

She walked towards the door to the kitchen, hollering through it for her husband as Ella watched in confusion.

"Oh, is Rose not here?" she asked as Hermione uncovered the still warm dish, indicating the three plates on the table.

"She's in the middle of a Floo call in my study," said Hermione. "I expect she'll still be a while and she asked not to be interrupted. She's been interviewing all week with the Head of Muggle Liaison in France and I think they're working out the final logistics of her transfer today."

"She decided to take the job with Penelope's brother?" Ella asked in shock. Hermione nodded as Ron entered the room. He took in his wife's smile before letting one grow on his own face. Ella felt warmth fill her as Ron paused to drop a kiss on her head before he took his seat.

"We thought she'd decide to stay on here for a while longer, since her boss gave her the option," Hermione continued as she and Ella took their seats. "It seemed like she was leaning that way, but something must have changed this week because she seems settled on returning to France."

"Won't even let us try to talk her out of it," Ron grumbled as he spooned a heaping helping of food onto his plate.

"It's her life, though," said Hermione with a pointed look at her husband. "We shouldn't make her do anything she doesn't want to."

Ella smiled as Ron rolled his eyes. This was obviously a familiar topic of discussion.

"Do you know when she plans to leave?" asked Ella.

"As soon as things finish up with her current assignment," said Hermione. "Which should be sometime this coming week."

Ella felt saddened by this news. While Rose had been in the country longer than she'd anticipated, Ella still felt like she hadn't taken advantage of the time she could have spent with her, letting her pride and immaturity get in the way instead. Now she wouldn't have a chance to remedy her choices.

With a sense of lightheartedness and love that she hadn't felt in days, Ella thoroughly enjoyed sharing a meal with Ron and Hermione. She left with all of them promising to make it a habit, and sending her best wishes to Rose, who still hadn't made an appearance by the end of dinner. Hermione promised she'd tell Rose to swing by the Leaky Cauldron before she headed back to France so Ella could say goodbye, and Ella truly hoped she would.

With a pop, Ella disappeared from their front porch, reappearing in the flat she shared with her father. She could hear the hustle and bustle of the dinner rush going on below her and was about to make her way downstairs when she heard voices coming from her father's study. The door was cracked and she slowly made her way towards it, listening to see if she could distinguish the voices.

She nearly jumped in surprise when the door opened a moment later and her father walked out, talking over his shoulder to his guest.

"-and make sure you bring back plenty of photos," he was saying to his guest. "I know it's only been a month, but still - oh, hello, Ella!"

He smiled brightly when he saw his daughter, coming forward to kiss her on the cheek in greeting.

"How're Ron and Hermione?" he asked as he stepped around her, but Ella found it impossible to answer right away as her eyes were drawn to the familiar face and hazel eyes of James Potter as he stood in the doorway of Neville's study.

"They're fine," she managed to squeak out, her eyes soaking in the man in front of her. She hadn't quite realized just how much she'd missed him. Just how desperate she was to see him smile at her again.

"Did they like the food?" asked Neville, completely oblivious to the way his daughter was staring at his guest with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. James was looking at her just as attentively.

"Yes," she said when she was finally able to pull her eyes away from James. "They even invited me to join them for dinner."

"See?" said Neville as he rifled through some things on the desk by the window. "I told you whatever misunderstanding you'd had was nothing to worry about."

Ella gave her father a grateful smile as James stepped further into the room.

"You went to Ron and Hermione's?" he asked in a hopeful voice as he stood next to her. Ella looked up at him and nodded, her eyes searching his face as he watched her closely.

"Ella took them a shepherd's pie," said Neville as he busied himself with sealing an envelope. "Sally makes it now but it's Hannah's recipe. Ron's loved it for years."

Ella quickly pulled her gaze from James when her father approached them, handing the letter he'd just sealed to James.

"Anything you wish to send with James, Ella? He stopped by to tell me he's going to Cairo for a few weeks."

"What?" she asked in surprise, her eyes widening as they snapped to James again.

"Well, the season's over now," he explained, sticking Neville's letter in his pocket. "I figured I'd spend the first few weeks I've had free in a while in Egypt."

"Have you been planning this for a while?"

"I suppose it's a bit spur of the moment," he said with a shrug, directing his gaze to his feet. "But it'll be nice to get away. Spend time with my niece and nephew."

"Well," said Ella, finally collecting herself enough to offer a small smile. "I don't have anything prepared, so I suppose I'll just send my love to _our_ niece and nephew," she said with an attempt at a teasing tone. "Think you can handle that?"

James looked up at her, his eyes once again possessing that familiar warmth that she'd been craving. But there was something else there. A tension and - if she was reading things correctly - a longing. Ella's heart began beating inexplicably faster as his lips twitched into a smile and he responded.

"I'll do my best."

He reached forward, placing his hand on her arm in a familiar gesture that was usually followed by him dropping a kiss on her head. But as he stepped closer, he hesitated, his grip tightening on her arm momentarily before he let go and walked away, wishing them both farewell before closing the door of their flat behind him.

"We should think about doing that this summer," said Neville as he moved to go back into his study.

"Doing what?" Ella asked in a bit of a daze, her mind refusing to erase the image of James' eyes boring into hers from her brain.

"Going to visit your sister," her father clarified, just when Ella thought nothing else could add to the already eventful day.

"What?" she asked in shock as she followed her father into his study. "Really?"

"Really," he nodded as he took a seat behind his desk. "I know I've never liked the idea of traveling, but I think it's time I got over that. It's just that, I was always worried the reason your mother got sick was because of that trip we took to the Peruvian rainforest to look for magical plants, even through the Healers assured me it wasn't. It was only a week later that she fell ill. It's always scared me out of taking you girls anywhere, but that's no life for you to live."

Ella gave her father a watery smile, moving around his desk to wrap her arms tightly around his neck.

"I wish she was here to see how brilliantly you both turned out," Neville said as he held her tightly.

"I do too," said Ella, chuckling a bit as she pulled away from her father and wiped her traitorous tears from her eyes. "Think she'd be proud of us?"

"Are you kidding?" Neville said incredulously. "Of course she'd be."

Ella smiled, pulling herself onto her father's desk and facing him.

"We've never talked about her much," she said, a bit nervous despite her determination to actually talk to her father about this.

"No, I suppose we haven't," Neville said with a small smile, his eyes flickering momentarily to a picture on his desk of a beautiful blonde witch that looked remarkably like Ella. "What would you like to know?"

* * *

 **A/N: I sort of love this chapter so I hope you do to! The next chapter is one of my favorites too. We are getting so close to the end and I'm going to be sad to wrap this story up, but also can't wait!**

 **Thoughts on this chapter? Any clue what will happen in the next one? Thanks as always for your reviews!**


	19. The Devastated Heroine

**A/N: You can thank the reviews that asked for my Monday update on top of Sunday for this one. I agonized over getting all this just right, so I hope it pays off. As always, can't wait to hear what you think!**

* * *

The next few days seemed to drag, most likely due to the lonely state Ella found herself in. James was not due back until the beginning of June, and Scorpius had been conspicuously absent. Ella hadn't seen him since the day she'd gone to visit Hermione.

She still had Helen and Cassie keeping her company, and Matt's renewed determination to win over Lily was entertaining, but the days were determined to pass at an achingly slow pace. It was a relief to her when Anne showed up early on Tuesday morning, though her strange demeanor caused Ella to grow concerned almost immediately.

"What's wrong?" Ella asked as they moved back into the kitchen, per Anne's request for a private word. The older witch was wringing her hands nervously, her face betraying mixed emotions of confusion, joy, and distress. Neither paid any attention to Sally as she ignored them and continued cooking up a storm.

"I don't know where to begin, really," said Anne uncertainly. "I'm still trying to process it all myself. And I hate to be the one to cause you any pain."

"Pain?" Ella said in shock. "What happened? Is it my dad? Did something happen at the school? Al and Sarah and the kids, are they alright?"

"No, no, they're all fine," Anne assured her as Ella began to panic. "It's nothing like that. In fact, you could even consider it happy news when looked at the right way. Though, I would have much preferred it if they'd handled the whole thing better. We all would."

"Anne, what is it?" asked Ella, growing impatient. Anne took a steadying breath, clasping Ella's hands in her own as she watched her steadily.

"Scorpius is married. To Rose Weasley."

Silence fell between them as the sound of Sally's chopping and whisking filled the room. And then Ella let out a disbelieving chuckle of denial. Because Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley couldn't be married. They barely knew each other. They barely cared for each other. They barely gave each other the time of day. Anne had to be mistaken.

"You're joking, right?" she said, still chuckling as Anne continued to grip her hands. "This is all some sort of joke on his end, yeah? Is he hiding just outside?"

Anne shook her head, her expression pained. "No, Ella. It's true. It's been true since just after Christmas."

"What?!" Ella said in outrage. Shock overwhelmed all her senses as she attempted to process Anne's news. "That's mad! How could they have been married this whole time? That makes no bloody sense!"

"They met when Scorpius first started visiting the Lupins right around the previous Christmas," Anne explained, "but they really got to know each other when he started working for the French Ministry on the project Rose was assigned to back in August. Apparently, they fell quite hard for each other, but they kept it quiet since his aunt had already made it perfectly clear how she felt about the Weasleys. Not to mention the tension still present between their fathers. They knew they were going to be seperated when Rose was assigned to be on the team to come to the British Ministry, and since he wasn't sure when he'd be able to follow her, Scorpius didn't want her to just leave without committing to each other in some way, so he asked her to marry him. They acted a little rashly after that."

"By rashly do you mean bloody eloping?" asked Ella, still in shock as Anne continued to relay the tale.

"Yes, but I'm afraid there's a little more to it than that," said Anne, growing more nervous as she seemed hesitant to continue.

"Just tell me," said Ella. "I think I'll believe just about anything now."

Anne gave her a sympathetic look before continuing. "Apparently, Rose would only go through with it if at least someone in her family knew and was present, so they went to Cairo."

A pit formed in Ella's stomach. "Sarah and Al? They knew?"

Anne nodded. "They were there. They had the wedding in Cairo before Rose came to England after Christmas."

Ella let her hands slip out of Anne's grasp. No wonder Sarah had asked her all those questions about her feelings for Scorpius.

She turned and faced the stacks of clean dishes, the sound of Sally continuing with her various tasks falling against deaf ears as her mind whirled.

"I can't believe them," said Ella, her hands gripping her hair in aggravation. "All of them. How could they keep something like this a secret for so long? What was the bloody point?"

"They were worried about how both families would react," said Anne. "Scorpius didn't know how his father would feel about it, and Rose was worried about the response from her own parents as well. You know their history from the war and you've seen Draco and Ron interact. It makes sense that they'd be hesitant."

"Oh, because being secretive about it just makes it all better," said Ella with a scoff. She turned to face Anne with her hands on her hips. "I'm guessing Ron and Hermione know?"

"Yes," Anne said with a nod. "And Hugo found out when we were in Tutshill. Scorpius almost gave it away completely at dinner that night. Banoffee Pie is Rose's favorite, not mine."

Memories of the weekend in Tutshill flashed into Ella's mind. She saw the whole thing vividly, and it was a bit embarrassing to realize how blind she'd been and how many rather obvious hints she either hadn't picked up on or had dismissed with some lame excuse.

"He claims he even tried telling _you_ one time," Anne continued.

That's what he'd been trying to say the day he'd left town back in February, Ella realized. It wasn't that he was in love with her, it was that he was in love with Rose. He was bloody _married_ to Rose.

"How'd her parents take it?" Ella asked.

"Not well," said Anne, "but Scorpius was with them all day yesterday sorting it out."

"Good," she said, crossing her arms indignantly. They had a lot to sort out. Especially since-

"Bloody hell!" Ella exclaimed. "She was all set to move back to France this week! He let her decide to take a job there instead of staying here!"

"Scorpius didn't know," Anne assured her. "That was sort of the tipping point, actually. Hugo told him on Sunday, and Scorpius immediately hurried to Ron and Hermione's to try and fix things. You can imagine how poorly things have been between them lately," Anne said with a pained expression. "They had a horrible fight the day before we went to Sussex about the fact that he was insisting they continue to keep it a secret until he could figure out a way to explain things to his aunt and father, but Rose was running out of time since she had to make a decision about her career, and he didn't take it well that she was even considering going back to France.

"She did apologize for going ahead with deciding to leave without telling him," Anne continued, "but he didn't really blame her for that. And she's one of the kindest and most understanding people in the world, and he really feels so ashamed and sorry for how he behaved, so of course they managed to work things out. I'm just glad that after all this trouble they can actually be happy together. Just thinking about what's gone on the past few months makes me ache for Rose."

Ella stood in stunned silence as the previous weeks and months flew through her mind.

Scorpius showing up in town just after Rose, only to leave immediately after and never even see his parents. Scorpius going along with Ella's complaints about Rose and her family, most likely to divert suspicion. Rose and Scorpius playing beautifully together at the music night. Rose being sent her piano after that evening. Scorpius saying goodbye to Rose before he left town. The two of them dancing together at the party. Even James had been suspicious when they were in Tutshill. And then Rose had told Ella herself how exhausted she was. And that was the night she'd argued with Scorpius. It had probably happened when they ran into each other outside the pub. And then their day in Sussex...

"Oh, dear God," Ella groaned into her hands. "She must hate me."

"She doesn't," Anne assured her.

"Well no wonder she's been avoiding me for days!" Ella shouted. "You saw what Scorpius and I were like together for months. I wouldn't be surprised if she thought there was more going on between us than there actually was. Plenty of other people thought so! She probably had to deal with people gossiping about us and everything. And how dare he! That selfish bastard! He should never have come into town behaving so very unmarried. Everyone had waited so anxiously to meet him, anyone could have fallen for him. _I_ could have fallen for him!"

Surprisingly, relief filled Anne's features. "You mean you didn't?"

Ella let out a deep breath, calming down as she gave Anne a reassuring look. "No. I didn't. I thought at one point that maybe I had, but I didn't."

"Thank Merlin," said Anne, clutching her heart in relief. "I insisted on telling you all this myself because I was afraid you felt differently. I couldn't have him coming here and breaking your heart like that."

Ella moved forward and hugged her friend tightly.

"Thank you," said Ella as she released her. "Draco might have ended up childless if Scorpius had told me this himself. I'm still likely to thoroughly give him a piece of my mind and maybe even show him the business end of my wand."

Anne chuckled at her ire. "He's gotten that plenty from Hugo already. Apparently, he gave Scorpius quite the telling off the day we went to Sussex. There really is no excuse for his behavior that day, and Hugo made sure he knew that."

Ella gave an appreciative nod, though knew she'd still have a few choice words for Scorpius herself the next time she saw him.

"How are you and Draco doing with all of this?" she asked Anne.

"Draco's a bit disappointed that Scorpius felt the need to be so dishonest," Anne said with a sigh, "and I have to say, I feel the same. It won't be easy for Ron and Draco to always be civil, but both of them have said they'll do their best to be on better terms. Draco really likes Rose, and Ron likes Scorpius, despite how he handled everything, so they're both okay with it. I think it'll all be fine and, overall, we're doing alright." And then, surprisingly, a delighted smirk appeared on Anne's face. "Besides, even if you _did_ show Scorpius the business end of your wand, Draco wouldn't be childless for long."

"He wouldn't-what?!" Ella practically shrieked. And then Anne was nodding and grinning, and Ella pulled her into another tight hug, squealing in delight.

"How long have you known?" asked Ella, stepping back to peer down at her friend's still flat stomach.

"We only found out last week so we're still not really telling anyone," said Anne, continuing to beam in delight. "We told Rose and Scorpius, but that's it besides you. We want you to be godmother."

Ella was hugging her again, tears pouring down her cheeks as she promised to be the best godmother there ever was to the newest addition to the Malfoy family.

It wasn't until Anne had left not long after that the true complications her news brought sunk in. Ella had been caught up in thoughts of Anne and Draco's future baby when Helen had come up to her at the bar and asked what she was smiling about. Ella had brushed aside her question, saying it was nothing. It was as Helen walked away that Ella finally remembered her friend had feeling for Scorpius Malfoy.

The only problem was that Ella had been told not to tell anyone. Scorpius had yet to confront his aunt and uncle about his marriage, and until that time came, they didn't want word spreading.

Thankfully, Ella didn't have to keep a lid on things for long, because word had spread by Thursday morning.

"Apparently they had a huge shouting match in the middle of the Emerald Inn," said Cassie as she came in after getting the mail. She'd run into Christine, the girl who worked the front desk at the inn, and she'd told her all the details. "His aunt and uncle came so they could meet Rose and her family and everyone could have dinner together, but his aunt lost it as soon as she discovered the truth."

"What happened next?" Helen asked, her face conveying her shock.

"She stormed out and told him he was no longer welcome in her home, and that he'd have to find work somewhere else because there was no way he was allowed to continue being part of the family business."

"What about his uncle?" asked Ella.

"He put his foot down, according to Christine," said Cassie. "Wouldn't let her make that call seeing as it was _his_ business from _his_ family, not hers. And that as far as he was concerned, Scorpius was still a part of that family. She didn't take too well to that, apparently."

"Blimey," said Helen, her brown curls bouncing around her face as she shook her head. "I can't believe Rose and Scorpius are actually married. I don't think anyone saw that coming."

They returned to work soon after this, Ella in a state of confusion due to Helen's reaction. Was she wrong in her assumption that Helen had feelings for Scorpius? Or had the girl simply moved on?

She wasn't able to get a moment to question Helen until the dinner rush had started to die down. They'd both gone upstairs to change the beddings and clean up a few of the rooms, something Ella didn't usually do but had volunteered to help with so she could have a moment alone with her friend.

"That was some surprising news today, wasn't it?" Ella said casually as they stripped the sheets off the bed.

"I know," said Helen, her eyes wide in disbelief. "And I can't believe you were able to keep it a secret for the past few days. I think I would have positively burst if I'd had to keep that in."

"It wasn't easy," Ella grumbled.

"I'm also quite surprised you didn't figure it out sooner." Helen continued as she cast cleaning spells to rid the room of dust. "You've always been quite good at the whole matchmaking thing. I can't believe they managed to fool you too."

"Yes, well, I'm fairly certain I was wrong about my ability to have any insight into people's love lives."

Helen gave her a sympathetic smile as Ella flicked her wand and a clean sheet snapped to fit the mattress.

"Helen," said Ella as her friend flung a quilt over the fresh linens, "why are you not upset with me?"

"Why would I be?" Helen asked quizzically.

"Well," Ella began slowly as she sat on the bed, "I was sort of under the impression that you were more than somewhat interested in Scorpius. And you have to know that I never would have encouraged you to have feelings for him if I'd known he had even the slightest inclination towards Rose."

"What?" Helen asked in shock, a disbelieving smile on her face. "Me? Fancy Scorpius Malfoy? No! Whatever gave you that idea?"

"The conversation we had a few months ago," Ella said as if it were obvious. "I mean, I'm glad to learn I was wrong, but does that mean you never had feelings for him? At all?"

"No," Helen assured her, shaking her head vigorously as she moved to sit next to Ella on the bed. "I've never felt that way about him."

"But…" Ella said in confusion, completely dumbfounded by this turn of events. "But then, who did you-"

"Did you really not understand who I meant?" Helen asked in surprise. "I don't know how you could have thought I was talking about anyone other than him. I mean, we agreed not to talk about it again or even say his name-"

"Right."

"-but based on the fact alone that you think of him as the best man you know and I spoke so highly of him, I thought it would have been obvious. How could I ever have been talking about anyone else?"

Dread filled Ella, because Helen couldn't possibly mean who she thought she meant.

"I think I've learned to have better taste than Scorpius Malfoy by now," Helen continued, and Ella gave a nervous chuckle. "At first, I thought it was probably a bit arrogant of me to even consider taking a fancy to him, but then you told me yourself that anything could happen."

Ella's heart was now pounding in her ears, and she felt as if the entire world was falling out from under her as Helen looked at her with a soft smile that lit up her eyes.

"And I figured, well, if anyone was going to have any type of insight into what type of potential there was between us, it would have to be you. I mean, you've known him your whole life."

Ella's eyes fell closed as she inhaled sharply. She had to force herself to exhale, the act causing the ache in her chest to intensify with every passing moment that this new reality began to sink in.

"Helen," she managed to force out, her eyes opening as she focused on the quilt she was gripping tightly in her fist, "you can't possibly… I mean, you don't really mean…"

She managed to look into Helen's hope filled eyes.

"You're not telling me you have feelings for James, are you?"

"Of course I am," said Helen with an incredulous giggle. "We talked about it months ago, didn't we?"

Ella stood abruptly from the bed, her hand pressed against her forehead as she paced in front of Helen.

"But, I could of sworn you were talking about Scorpius," she said, doing her best to keep from going into hysterics. "You went on about how he'd come to your rescue when those wizards tried to mug you in the alley and how you couldn't help falling for him. And I said it made perfect sense that such a heroic act could make you feel that way."

Helen sat there in silent contemplation while Ella stopped her pacing and waited impatiently for her to respond.

"Oh, I see what you're talking about!" Helen finally said. "But I was talking about an entirely different incident. I was talking about the party."

Ella looked at her in incredulous disbelief.

"You know," Helen continued, "how James danced with me? I know you've always said that he absolutely hates dancing, but then he put all of that aside to save me from being completely humiliated, and I knew then that he was the best man I'd ever met."

Ella sank back onto the bed, numb and still a bit in denial.

"I know this might come as a bit of a shock," Helen said in understanding. "And I'm sure you think I don't deserve him since he truly is such a wonderful man, but you said yourself that anything could happen. And, I mean, _he_ doesn't seem to think I don't deserve him, so I truly hope that you're alright with this. With us."

Ella was beginning to feel faint. She looked at Helen with wide eyes.

"Us?" she asked, the word coming out as barely more than a whisper. Helen simply nodded. Ella took a deep calming breath, reaching out to hold Helen's hands in hers and focusing her gaze on them.

"Helen," she began, truly not wanting to ask the question on her mind but knowing she had to. "Do you have any reason to believe that… James might feel the same?"

"Oh, yes," Helen said with a brilliant grin. "I did exactly as you said and paid very close attention to how he behaved towards me. I'm not sure that he feels quite as much for me as I do for him. Not yet, at least. But there have been many times since the party that he's pursued one-on-one conversation with me. We talked the whole time we were walking along the cliffs in Sussex. He asked me all about the places I traveled last summer and about where else I might like to go and if I plan on traveling again soon. He's asked about my family before as well, wanting to know if I'd met anyone since Hogwarts that I could see becoming like a family to me, since I don't really talk to my parents anymore. He's a wonderful listener."

"Helen, are you sure he wasn't trying to remind you of Lorcan?" Ella asked desperately. "Reminding you of your travels together and how close you became with his family?"

"Lorcan?" Helen said with a laugh. "Goodness, no. Why would I think of Lorcan when I have James?"

No. There was no way she _had_ James.

"And I have you to thank for allowing me to see that something between me and James was even possible," Helen continued, completely oblivious to Ella's distress. "Allowing me to see that I don't have to settle for anything less than I deserve. And believe me, I know that James is far more than I could ever deserve. Just thinking of all the kind things he's said to me, it blows me away that anyone as kind and handsome as him would ever think of me. But I'm rambling now. What do you think about it all?"

Ella did her best to breathe deeply, keeping her emotions in check as Helen watched her uncertainly. It didn't seem possible, but then again, a lot that she hadn't thought possible had happened in recent days. Not to mention the fact that there'd been various signs recently that James had fallen for someone. And with everything she was hearing, Ella could no longer ignore those signs. And if what Helen was saying was accurate, combined with what Ella knew of James as a person - as a man, there was only one conclusion she could come to.

"I think," she said in a surprisingly calm voice, "that James Potter is the last person in the world who would intentionally lead a girl to believe that he cares more for her than he truly does."

Helen gave a mixture between a squeal and a giggle in delight, her hands gripping Ella's tighter for a moment as excitement overtook her.

"Oh, thank you so much, Miss Ella," Helen gushed. "I'm so glad I don't have to keep all my happiness bottled up anymore. I think-"

"We should finish up here," Ella interrupted, standing and glancing around the room in an effort to find something to do.

"Of course, you're right," said Helen, unable to stop smiling as she worked to collect herself.

"Why don't you finish up here and I'll move on ahead to the next room," Ella suggested. Helen immediately agreed, getting back to making the bed with a joyous spirit as Ella quickly crossed the hall to the next room. She closed the door behind her, leaning against it and breathing heavily as all the emotions she'd been holding back came bubbling to the surface.

Helen falling for James was the last thing she'd seen coming. How had she missed this? Had she been so insistent on seeing things one way, that she'd missed seeing things for how they truly were?

And was Helen right? Did James actually return her feelings? The thought made her feel sick, but she couldn't seem to come up with a good argument against it. And to make matters worse, Ella realized that it would never have happened if it weren't for her.

She never should have encouraged Helen. From the very beginning. She should have kept to herself and let Helen leave with Lorcan and travel to Greece. Then none of this would be happening. It was Ella's worst nightmare come to life. One she'd never even known she had. Not until the moment she knew it was possible.

Because Helen couldn't be with James. No one could be with James. No one except Ella herself.

She sank to the floor as tears formed in her eyes, her breathing growing erratic as she laughed and cried simultaneously. She'd been a fool for such a long time. How had she never seen it before now? Why did it take knowing she couldn't have him for her to realize she wanted him?

She'd been so caught up in everyone else's concerns and managing the hearts and love lives of others that she'd completely ignored her own. Shoved it aside and insisted it didn't exist. There was no way for her to know how long she'd felt this way, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was she knew she loved him, but she was too late. Too late because just like Helen had fallen for him, he'd fallen for Helen.

As much as Ella wanted to talk herself out of believing James could possibly think of Helen that way, she knew he could. Helen was right; he'd gone out of his way to dance with her at the party. She'd seen them talking together more often since then. He'd said nice things about her. He'd been acting strangely for months. He was open to the idea of having someone in his life. It was all starting to make sense. He was falling in love with Helen.

Ella was too late. And it was entirely her own fault.

And not only that, but she'd acted like a complete fool for months now. Even if there'd once been a possibility of James feeling something for her, he probably would have written her off based on her relationship with Scorpius, which now made her look like an idiot. And then she'd completely blown it in Sussex.

Ella was full on sobbing now, her hand covering her mouth to muffle the sound as she felt her heart breaking. How had she never realized he'd taken up residency there? How was she supposed to carry on knowing she had to let him go?

This was never supposed to happen to her. Ella was supposed to be content and happy with the way her life was. Nothing was supposed to change. But then she'd gone and fallen in love with James and ruined it. And to make matters worse, he and Helen had fallen in love with each other.

Ella groaned in frustration, rubbing harshly at her face and willing the tears to stop. She was better than this.

Except she wasn't. Because it was James. She'd do anything for him. Even make a complete and utter fool of herself, apparently.

"Miss Ella? Cassie needs help downstairs. Do you want to go or should I?"

Ella willed her voice not to give away her tears as she hollered back at Helen, telling her to head downstairs to help out and that she'd be there soon.

How in the world was she supposed to pretend like everything was fine? Like her heart wasn't shattered into a million pieces and she couldn't think of anything that could put it back together again?

Because Ella now knew that her heart belonged to James Sirius Potter, and she wasn't sure if there was anything that could ever change that.


	20. The Most Eligible Bachelor

Ella did her best not to think about James for the remainder of the day and into Friday as well. Of course, this had proved to be nearly impossible.

Everywhere she went, she saw reminders of him. His usual seat at the bar, his favorite dish on the menu, his preferred flavor of tea. He'd left his mark on the inn as well as her heart.

Ella was thankful that Helen had Friday and Saturday off that week, giving her time to clear her head without having to listen to her friend talk about James. She'd also started to worry that Helen was beginning to realize something was wrong, and the last thing Ella wanted was for Helen to figure out what was bothering her.

By the time Ella was locking up on Friday night, she was more exhausted than she could ever remember being in her life. She thought she was beginning to understand what Rose had meant when she'd said exhaustion didn't even begin to cover how she was feeling. It was taking up copious amounts of energy to simply keep her feelings in check. Ella's natural reaction to her current emotions would be far from appropriate while serving customers, and keeping a level head was draining her.

"Alright, what's wrong with you?" Matt asked as he began to clear the glasses from the bar. "You've been miserable all day. More so than after all that shite went down during your trip to Sussex."

Ella sighed, leaning against the bar. She'd been determined not to talk to anyone about this, but maybe it could do her good to get some of it off her chest. And Matt was actually the perfect person to spill her problems to.

"Are you really in love with Lily?" she asked. Matt seemed thrown by the question, but then a small and affectionate smile spread across his face.

"Yeah," he said with a nod, his shaggy blond hair flopping a bit in his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I am."

"How do you do it?" she asked. "How do you go every day knowing she doesn't want the same thing you do? That the odds of it happening are practically nonexistent?"

She knew the question was a bit harsh, but the desperate tone she'd uttered it in softened the words a bit. Matt rolled the question over in his mind before he shrugged.

"I suppose part of me hasn't given up hope, but I also know that all I want is for her to be happy. If I'm not what makes her happy, all I can do is hope she finds it somewhere else. Loving someone is about wanting the best for them more than anything. I've learned that the hard way."

He seemed resigned to his situation, but at peace with it.

"How long did it take?" asked Ella. "For you to be okay with that?"

"I'll let you know when it happens," he said with a sad smile. "There a reason you're asking?"

Ella drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she struggled with what to say.

"No," she finally said, shaking her head. "No reason."

Ella knew Matt didn't buy her dismissal, but he didn't argue either when she told him to head on home and that she'd finish cleaning up. His words tumbled through her mind, a sense of finality accompanying them as she realized she might be left to a life of longing for something she was never going to have. She could try to convince herself that she'd eventually move on, but James wasn't just some random bloke she could cut out of her life and get over. Whether he thought so or not, they were family. Her brother-in-law was his brother. They shared a niece and nephew. He would never be completely gone from her life, whether she tried to make it happen or not. She'd always be forced to remember what she couldn't have.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to hold herself together. With the pub now empty, however, she didn't have to keep it all in, and Ella let out a groan of frustration when she realized she was crying once again. She slammed her hands down on the bar before completely breaking down into tears and burying her head in her arms on the cool wooden surface.

She felt like an idiot for being this emotional over everything. Then again, she had realized that she was in love with James _and_ that she'd missed her shot all in a single moment. It probably made sense that she was this much of a wreck, trying to process all of it at once.

She blamed James. She would have a perfectly composed head on her shoulders if it weren't for James Potter. Of course, she knew it wasn't really his fault, but thinking so allowed her to direct her frustration elsewhere for a moment. If she kept beating herself up over it, her soul was going to be permanently black and blue.

Mustering up the courage to continue on with life, Ella lifted her head, took a deep breath, and began straightening the stools under the bar. The scraping of them against the ground as she made things orderly almost caused her to miss the sound of the door unlocking behind her.

There were two people besides herself, her father, her grandmother, and her employees that had a key. One was Anne, and as she made more logical sense than the other option, Ella didn't even brace herself before she turned to face her late-night guest.

Seeing James for the first time while knowing she was in love with him felt like a punch to the gut. Ella watched him walk through the door and smile softly when he saw her, but she felt completely unable to do anything in response. It drove home the fact that she really had loved him long before she'd realized it, because she recognized the feeling in her chest and the sense of completeness she experience when she saw him. She just hadn't been able to put a name to it before. She felt like an idiot for not recognizing it sooner.

"Are you alright?" James asked as he began to slowly walk towards her after pulling the door shut and locking it behind him. There was sympathy in his voice as he took in the obvious evidence of tears on her face.

"Fine," Ella said dismissively, turning to resume her task. There was nothing she could do about the splotchy redness of her face, but at least she'd managed to make herself presentable that morning. No obvious stains had been added to her clothes over the course of the day either. Even her hair had still reasonably maintained the half pulled back style she usually wore it in.

It was silly of her, she knew, but it boosted her confidence to know she wasn't a complete train wreck.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her back still to him as he continued to walk towards her.

"I sort of live here, remember?"

Ella could tell he was smirking at her from his tone, and she let out a huff as she turned to face him with her hands on her hips. He'd stopped only a few feet away from her, his hands shoved in his trouser pockets as a smile played at his lips.

"I know that," she snapped good naturedly. "I meant why are you back already? You said you were going to be in Cairo for two weeks."

"Ah," he said, pulling his gaze from hers and looking down at his feet for a moment before meeting her eyes with a much more somber expression. "I wanted to check on you."

She looked at him questioningly. He seemed angry when he spoke next.

"He's a bloody scoundrel and an ungrateful bastard," James said vehemently. "I know he's my cousin's husband now, and I suppose I'll have to get over it eventually, but he never should have done what he did to you."

Ella's arms fell slack against her sides as she looked at James, completely dumbfounded and unsure of what to say to this unexpected response to recent events.

"I hope it doesn't take you long to get over him," James continued. "He doesn't deserve you mourning the loss. Good riddance, I say. Though Al and Sarah say he's actually an alright bloke. And he makes Rose happy, apparently. Still, I'm not prepared to forgive him for what he did to you."

"James, wait," said Ella, unable to keep an affectionate smile from growing on her face at his ire on her behalf. She moved towards him and placed her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to calm him. "He didn't do anything to me."

James eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair as he looked at Ella. His shock was replaced with skepticism a moment later.

"I mean it," she assured him. "We were friends. Nothing more. True, he was dishonest and careless and there's no excuse for that, but he didn't hurt me. Not in the way you seem to think."

Relief began to grow on James' face, and he smiled at her. Ella felt her heart begin to beat harder at the sight, and she found she couldn't go on looking at him while he continued smiling at her like that.

"You were right about one thing, though," she said as she moved to walk behind the bar. "They knew each other better than I realized."

"I wish I could find more satisfaction in being right," he said. "Are you sure you're not just putting on a brave face? Because you don't have to do that. Not with me, anyway."

Ella sighed, turning to face him once again, but busying herself with tidying up the bar so she had an excuse to not quite look at him.

"There might have been a time when I fancied myself…attached to him in a romantic sense," she allowed, "but I've done quite a bit of self examination in recent days, and I can tell you honestly that, while I might have been flattered by his attention and he might have taken advantage of how warmly I felt towards him, he didn't hurt me. Not in that sense. I never felt anything more for him than friendship."

She knew in her heart it was true. Even if she'd been a bit uncertain of the truth of it before, the overwhelming presence of James in her heart made it seem impossible that anyone else could have possibly gained even the smallest amount of space there as well.

James let out a sigh, and Ella looked up to see him running a hand through his already unkempt hair.

"Bloody Malfoy," he grumbled at the floor. "What a lucky bastard."

"Lucky?" Ella asked in surprise.

"Yes," said James with finality, his eyes snapping up to meet hers. She was surprised to find frustration and anguish there. "He _is_ lucky. No matter what level of affection you ever had for him, he didn't deserve an ounce of it. He waltzed in here, the picture of an eligible bachelor, and he was married to my cousin the whole time! Who happens to be one of the most kind hearted people I've ever known. It'll be a while before I'm convinced he deserves her, but from what I've been hearing, everyone seems more than willing to let it all be in the past and not hold it against him. It's infuriating!"

"Why are you so worked up about this?" Ella asked in astonishment. "It almost sounds like you envy him."

"Of course I bloody do," James grumbled, his eyes downcast and his hands in his pockets as he scuffed at the floor with the tip of his boot. "He's now living his life the way he wants to. No more secrets. Anyone would be envious of that."

Ella's chest tightened. She knew where this was heading, and she couldn't ask the question she knew he wanted her to voice. She couldn't hear him tell her he was in love with Helen.

"What, not dying to know what secrets I'm keeping? No comments about how I have nothing to complain about? No pestering me about what's wrong?"

"Is it really my place to ask?" she said, continuing to collect the used glasses on the bar by hand.

"That's never stopped you before," he said a bit teasingly, but his tone turned serious once again after she didn't respond. "It's actually probably wise of you to let it go this time, but I don't think I can play it safe anymore. So I'd at least like to talk to you about it."

"Why?"

"Because it's about time I was honest with you."

"Please, don't!" she practically shouted, letting the glasses she was holding clatter onto the wooden surface so she could brace her hands on the bar, squeezing her eyes shut in pain as the implications of what was happening threatened to overwhelm her. "Don't be honest with me. Just… think first. About what you're going to say. Because once you do, there's no going back. I don't want anyone to have any regrets, alright?"

The sound of her heavy breathing was the only thing that could be heard in the quiet bar as James stood there watching her. She could feel his eyes on her as she refused to meet them. She couldn't do it. She couldn't listen to him tell her how he'd fallen in love with her friend. A girl who never should have stuck around in the first place.

"If that's what you want," James finally managed to say, sounding reluctantly resigned. And then Ella heard the sound of his familiar footsteps as he turned to walk towards the stairs and to his room.

What was she doing? If she shut him out now, when he needed her to listen, would that only lead to him eventually being gone from her life for good? Yes, he would always be tied to her, but that didn't mean he had to continue to be there for her. To play an active role in her life. There was nothing stopping him from deciding to walk away.

As much as it would pain her to hear him tell her the god awful truth and to then have to live with it, she couldn't risk losing him completely. She couldn't picture that. She didn't want to even begin to imagine it.

Mustering her strength and courage, Ella ran out from behind the bar.

"Wait! I'm sorry," she called after him, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her as she reached him at the bottom of the stairs. His gaze searched hers as he looked at her questioningly, something like hope shining through his hazel eyes. "You're my friend," said Ella. "My _best_ friend. I've always been like a sister to you, and nothing could change that. So of course I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

James heaved a sigh. He rubbed his face with his hand as if he were in pain and trying to mask it. When his eyes returned to hers, they looked defeated.

"Nothing?" he asked. "Are you sure there's nothing I could ever do to change that?"

"Of course not," she assured him. "You're not going to lose me, James."

"That's not…"

He chewed on his lip as he glanced anxiously around the room.

"You're not my sister, Ella," he finally said, his voice filled with conviction as he looked at her in resignation. "I'm not sure I ever saw you that way, and I never want to."

Ella felt like she'd been slapped across the face. Tears stung in her eyes as she took a step back, her hand that had continued to grip his arm falling away.

"Oh."

James looked at her questioningly before what he said seemed to register, and panic crossed his features when she turned and he realized she was about to walk away.

"No, wait," he said, reaching out to grip her hand. "I'm not saying I don't care about you," he assured her. "That's the last thing I want you to think."

"Then what do you want me to think?" she asked, her voice rising as her frustration mounted and her tears escaped down her cheeks. "I told you I would listen to what you have to say, but I won't be dishonest about how it makes me feel. You said yourself that I wear my heart on my sleeve, so don't expect me to do anything else while you stand there and say that I don't mean nearly as much to you as you mean to me!"

Her breaths were coming in short bursts as she willed her tears to stop falling. His face was a mask of shock and uncertainty, and guilt filled her. That was not how she'd wanted to react. She needed to be supportive. To want him to be happy no matter how much it might break her heart. She took a deep, steadying breath.

"I'm sorry," she said with forced calm, her hand gripping his reassuringly as he'd continued to hold it throughout her outburst. "I overreacted. I just want you to be happy, and I only want what's best for you. I'll try to speak plainly and honestly and calmly about whatever it is you want to say."

James looked at her incredulously for a moment, as if trying to figure her out.

"Ella," he said, the ghost of a smile flickering across his face as he said her name, his hand dropping hers so he could run his fingers through his hair in agitation. "God, this is a mess," he groaned. "You drive me mad, you know? I wasn't expecting this. It was the last thing I saw coming. But I also think I knew we'd end up here, if that makes any sense at all."

"Not really," Ella admitted.

James' gaze was pointed towards the ceiling, but it moved to meet her eyes as a silent chuckle escaped him at her words. His expression turned serious a moment later, and he gulped nervously as he dropped his hands to his sides and flexed his fingers anxiously.

"God, I can't believe I'm actually going to say this," he said with a disbelieving shake of his head. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before his eyes met hers. And Ella could only stand there and wait, terrified of what he had to say.

"I want you to be honest with me," he said, his gaze so penetrating that Ella had to redirect her eyes to her hands that were clasped tightly in front of her as he took a step closer. "So just tell me now if I'm making a complete and utter fool of myself, or if I actually have a chance with you."

Ella gave a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes widened as they snapped to his. His gaze was pleading and vulnerable and full of that familiar warmth that she always saw whenever he looked at her. And then he was holding her hand in his again, but this time his fingers wove between hers, and Ella never wanted to breath again if it meant she had to lose this moment with him. Because it couldn't be real.

"You're so dear to me, Ella," he continued, his words soft and coated with sincerity. "Far dearer to me than you've ever known."

Ella barely noticed that a tear had escaped down her cheek, and she let out a breathy sigh as James lifted his free hand to wipe it away.

"I've never been great with using words to express how I feel," he admitted. "I think it would be easier to do if I didn't love you so damn much."

A mix between a laugh and a sob of disbelief escaped Ella. Her hand went to her mouth as she shook her head. "You're joking."

"I'd never joke about this," he said with the utmost sincerity, taking a step closer so she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. She'd been so scared to meet his eyes earlier, terrified of what she might see there. Now she never wanted to look away from the obvious love they held. Love for her.

"I haven't been entirely fair to you," he said with a small amount of shame. "I've been hard on you and I've lectured you, even when you might not have deserved it. And you've shown me time and again how strong you are. Knowing when to listen to my advice and when to tell me to shove off because you're perfectly capable of making your own decisions."

She chuckled, wiping her eyes once again as her earlier tears of sorrow were replaced with ones of joy.

"I love you, Ella," he said, his voice shaking a bit with the weight of his words. "More than I thought I could ever love anyone. It's a bit terrifying, actually."

Ella couldn't find words that seemed big enough to describe the way his own made her feel. She tried to smile reassuringly, but it was hard to do so as she worked to control her tears.

"I think you know me better than anyone," he continued, his smile showing how pleased he was by this fact. It was gone a moment later as his nerves showed up once again, his free hand running through his hair before falling limply to his side. "And even though I think the same can be said for how well I know you, I've got no bloody idea what you're thinking right now. So...what do you think?"

Ella held in a laugh. She chewed on her lower lip as she worked to contain her smile, but it was no use. She was practically vibrating with happiness, and her grin burst forth as she grabbed his other hand and held it the same way she was still gripping his other one. And she saw hope return to his eyes as they searched her own.

"For the first time in my life, I'm honestly not entirely sure what to think," she said in a whisper.

James laughed, though Ella could tell he was still a bit uncertain. She raised their clasped hands between them so they rested against his strong chest. The chest that she'd cried into the night of the Christmas party. The chest she'd smacked on more than one occasion when he'd made an obnoxious comment. The chest that contained a heart that she now knew belonged to her.

Shakily, she leaned down and kissed his knuckles, thrilled by the way he gave a sharp intake of breath at the action.

"You know," she began in a quiet voice, "I think I convinced myself for years that you saw me as a sister, because that way I wouldn't let myself hope you saw me as something else. I didn't know I was doing it, of course. I didn't really know anything until a few days ago. But something happened that made me finally see where my heart was. Where it's been for years, honestly. And I realized it was always going to be with you."

James looked at her in stunned silence, all doubt gone from his face as he beamed down at her. He gave the most beautiful laugh of delight, and then his arms were around her waist, lifting her off her feet as he spun her around. Ella joined in his laughter, her arms tightening around his neck as he held her tightly. They stayed there like that, her in his arms with her feet off the ground as he swayed slightly on the spot, holding each other for what felt like forever but didn't seem nearly long enough before he was lowering her to her feet.

Ella kept her arms around his neck and he kept his around her waist. They both breathed each other in as he rested his forehead against hers. Ella closed her eyes, basking in his closeness and just how right it all felt.

His breathing picked up a bit as she felt him move closer, her eyes still closed as she waited for the moment when his lips would meet hers. But he didn't appear to be done talking.

"You love me?" James asked, his voice so quiet she could hardly hear it over the pounding of her heart.

"Yes," she breathed back, her arms loosening so she could move her hands to either side of his face. "I do."

They stood there in silence, Ella's closed eyes allowing her other senses to heighten. She noted the familiar smell of leather and musk that was so exquisitely James. The way she fit perfectly against him as she felt him breathing with their chests were pressed closely together. His arms were strong yet gentle as he held her in what was undoubtedly a tender embrace. He'd held her before, but never like this, with his hands pressed against her back as he kept her as close to him as possible, seeming almost like he never wanted to let her go.

"Just to be clear, you don't mean as a brother, right?"

Ella's instinct was to either laugh or furrow her brow and smack his chest, but she knew part of him was asking the question honestly. And they'd spent too much time not being honest with themselves for her to allow a moment when she could truly tell him exactly how she felt slip by.

"James," she said firmly, "I'm so madly in love with you, that if you don't bloody kiss me in the next five seconds, I'll be forced to do it my-"

She gave a yelp in surprise as his lips finally met hers, and then all she felt was bliss.

* * *

 **A/N: EEEEEK! Hope the wait was worth it.**

 **Thank you for all your lovely reviews! This story is not quite over so don't worry, i won't leave you hanging.**


	21. The Happy Couple

"Tell me something," Ella said as she slowly ran her hand over James' T-shirt covered chest. "Did you really think I fancied Scorpius?"

She felt him shrug underneath her. After their first few hesitant kisses and another declaration of love, James had quickly helped her tidy up the rest of the pub before they'd retired to his room. They were now sitting in front of the blazing fire, James' legs stretched out in front of him as Ella lay curled into his side, his arm around her as his hand trailed up and down her arm.

"It would have made sense if you did," he said. "You got along so well right off the bat, and it was obvious how much you enjoyed his company. We should be thankful for that, though. It sort of opened my eyes to how I truly felt about you."

Ella grinned, burrowing herself a little further into his side. "I don't think I'll ever grow tired of hearing you say things like that."

"Like what?"

"Anything having to do with the fact that you love me."

James chuckled, dropping a kiss on her head. The action was familiar, but it suddenly took on a new meaning. He wasn't doing it in greeting or in farewell. He was doing it because his love for her compelled him to. The idea thrilled her.

"I don't think I'll ever grow tired of being able to say things like that," he admitted.

"Then by all means, feel free to never stop."

He laughed, his arm tightening around her as he buried his face against the top of her head. Ella felt him breathe in deeply, letting out a sigh of contentment.

"I thought I was too late," James continued. "I thought that I'd lost any chance I'd had as soon as he came to town. I was determined to still try, though. So I made sure to be a gentleman at the music night, just like you'd requested. But then you just thought I fancied Cassie, so that backfired. And then I suggested going away somewhere, thinking getting you away from everything would give me a chance to test the waters a bit, but then he came back and it was all about him again. I saw how much it hurt you to see Helen standing alone at the party while Eddie and Penelope flaunted themselves right in front of her, so I asked her to dance. And don't even get me started on how much it tortured me to dance with _you_ that night."

"What?" Ella asked in surprise, shoving away the guilt she felt when he mentioned Helen and focusing on his last statement instead. She pushed herself up against his chest so she could look him in the eye.

"No, not like that," he said with a roll of his eyes. He rubbed her arm comfortingly. "I just meant that it was so hard to not act on my feelings for you. I was confident you'd reject me if I tried anything."

Ella relaxed back against him, resting her head on his chest as she thought back to that night.

"I don't know what I would have done, to be honest. I want to say it would have been welcome, but it probably would have confused me more than anything. I _do_ think that was one of the first times I actually registered feeling something for you that was stronger than friendship. After that it was probably the comment you made to Penelope when we were in Tutshill."

"What comment?" James asked curiously. Ella blushed, remembering that particular conversation had been one she'd overheard. She quickly relayed it to him, looking up at him and watching recognition cross his face as he was reminded of the moment he'd mentioned a potential future wife.

"Hearing that, not to mention the conversation we had about what we would have done in Cassie and David's situation," Ella continued, "I just kept having a hard time picturing you with anyone, and it bothered me that there was the possibility you could fall for someone else. Of course, it wasn't until much later that I actually acknowledged that's what I was thinking."

"How'd that happen, exactly?" he asked. Ella thought long and hard about how she should answer that question. Eventually, she sighed and sat up, folding her legs up on the couch and facing him. James looked at her in concern, so she reached out and pulled his hands into her lap as he sat up straighter.

"It was only a few days ago. I'd been feeling a lot of things for days; disappointed in myself for how I'd behaved in Sussex, but more upset that I'd disappointed you; missing you terribly and wishing I'd been able to go to Cairo with you. I was prepared to do anything to get you to smile at me again. I hated the fact that you left town. I'd been worried since our conversation about how we aren't family that you were… I don't know, growing out of our friendship or something. That I'd screwed up one too many times and you'd had enough. I hated the thought that I could lose you. I didn't really see the whole picture until I had a certain conversation with Helen."

She paused, knowing she owed him the truth, but also knowing Helen had confided in her and trusted her to keep her secret. And she didn't feel like she could betray that trust. If the time came when it was important for James to know, she'd tell him. And he'd understand why she hadn't before.

"We were talking about her own heart, and it just struck me that I'd never allowed myself to examine mine. It became obvious the moment I allowed that wall to come down. You were all over the place."

James chuckled at the image she painted. She smiled at him as he intertwined his fingers with hers.

"I didn't know for sure until after Sussex," he admitted. "I was still in a bit of denial before then, but for some reason, that day drove home the truth."

Ella chuckled in disbelief. "You mean my childish behavior actually turned you on?"

James rolled his eyes. "No. I think it just became clear to me that as frustrating and imperfect as you are, there's nothing you could ever do that would cause me to stop loving you."

Ella felt foolish as tears formed in her eyes, but it was the good kind of foolish. The kind you want to feel. The kind you'd never be ashamed to feel.

She pulled herself closer to him, her hands still gripping his as he leaned forward. Goosebumps erupted on her skin as he came close enough so that she could feel his warm breath caressing her face.

"I'm fairly certain there's nothing you could ever do to stop me from loving you either," she said, her voice holding more emotion than she'd been expecting. James smiled, leaning in slightly closer so his nose gently brushed against hers.

"Fairly certain?"

Ella laughed. "Absolutely certain."

"Brilliant."

She wanted to melt into him as his lips met hers, but it was still soft and hesitant, the experience new and exciting. Ella knew she didn't have to be nervous, but she couldn't help it. This was _James_ , for Merlin's sake. One of the people she was the most comfortable with in the world. It probably didn't ease her nerves that she'd rarely done anything like this at all. She was rather lacking in the romance department.

It calmed her, though, to realize that James seemed to be almost as nervous as she was. She could feel his hands almost shaking in her own, and they were both breathing deeply as they broke apart.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his forehead resting against hers.

"About what?"

"I don't know," he said with a nervous chuckle. "I almost feel like I'm too nervous to do this well. I wanted to be all calm and collected about everything, but it just feels too important to be flippant, you know?"

"I know," she said, already feeling herself relax by simply acknowledging the weight of what was happening. "And you're doing just fine."

He chuckled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Ella said with a grin, pulling back a bit so she could look him in the eye. "And I'm nervous as well. Not only does this feel like one of the most important things I'll ever do, but I'm new to this. I don't know how to be with anyone."

"But it's me," he reasoned.

"Which makes it all the more terrifying."

James gave a deep sigh, his grip on her hands slackening so he could caress her arms. "I know it's easy to be worried about whether or not this will work or what happens if it doesn't, but I don't plan on letting that be an option. As far as I'm concerned, this is it for me. And if you tell me this is it for you too, I can't see anything stopping us from spending the rest of our lives together."

Ella's breath caught in her throat. She searched his honest eyes and cupped his face in her hands. "Do you really mean that? You're ready to tell me you want to be with me forever?"

"I'd probably marry you tomorrow if you'd let me."

Joy-filled laughter poured out of Ella, and then she was dropping kisses all over his face, her hands going to the back of his neck as his arms wound around her waist and pulled her closer. And then her mouth was on his and it was deep and consuming and full of years of love that could only come with knowing someone so wholly and completely, and knowing they felt the same about you. And she knew it was just the beginning. There was a whole side of James that she'd never seen until now, and it made her excited to know there was more of him for her to discover.

"That wasn't a proposal, by the way," he mumbled against her lips. Ella giggled as he went back to kissing her soundly.

"I know," she said when she pulled away to breathe.

"Good," he said, seeming like he was holding himself back from continuing their previous activities. "Trust me, you'll know it when it happens."

"Can't wait."

James gave into his earlier temptation to kiss her again, the act already more familiar than it had been an hour ago. They didn't break apart again until Ella felt James shaking with laughter.

"What?" she asked, her tone annoyed at being prevented from continuing to kiss him

"Al and Sarah are going to go ballistic."

Ella gasped before quickly dissolving into laughter. She hadn't even begun to think about how people would react to this. His parents, her father, their siblings, Anne. And she was still trying very hard not to think about Helen.

"Is that really what you're thinking about right now?" she asked once she'd managed to control her laughter. She wound her arms more tightly around his neck, pulling herself closer until she was practically in his lap. A grin broke out across her face as his eyes widened when she swung her legs over his lap.

"I suppose we can think about all that later," James said with a smirk. She nodded in agreement as his arms tightened around her waist.

And Ella was more than happy to lose herself in him, perfectly content to spend the rest of the evening learning all sorts of things about James Potter.

* * *

As elated as Ella was by the recent development between herself and James, it was hard not to let the occasional feeling of dread sweep in the following morning. But she pushed it aside. She knew she'd have to face things eventually when it came to Helen - most likely sooner rather than later - but until she had to deal with all the negative emotions that confrontation would bring, she would focus on other things. Like how blissful it was to wake up in the arms of the person she loved the following morning.

She and James had stayed up talking long into the night, reveling in the ability to freely express the way they felt about each other before eventually falling asleep in front of the fire. It wasn't until a few minutes before Gina was due to open that Ella finally pulled herself away from the comfort of his couch to head back to her flat to get ready for the day.

"James?" she said uncertainly as they stood in his doorway, his hands cupping her face as she rested hers against his chest. "I think we should wait to make this public. At least until after our families know. You know how people can gossip. I'd rather word not spread to them that way."

"Yeah, absolutely," James assured her, ducking down to kiss her one last time. Ella allowed herself to be distracted by him for a few moments longer, becoming so caught up in him that she didn't hear the sound of someone coming out of one of the rooms down the hall.

"Holy-!"

Ella quickly pulled away from James, her eyes widening and flying in the direction of the rather shrill exclamation. Lily was standing in the doorway to her room, her hand clasped over her mouth as her eyes practically bulged out of their sockets at the sight in front of her.

"Hey, Lil," James finally said after a few moments of awkward silence. "What's up?"

"I got a letter from Al this morning saying that you left Cairo without an explanation last night," she said, her eyes narrowing as she lowered her hand. "I was coming to check on you. Clearly you're doing just fine."

"You didn't even tell them why you left?" Ella asked, turning back to look at a rather guilty looking James and ignoring Lily's smirk.

"Well," he said hesitantly, "I wasn't exactly sure how to say 'I'm pretty sure the bloke who married our cousin broke Ella's heart, and I'm going to go check on her and maybe tell her how I feel.' And I wasn't about to be honest with him about how I felt before I was honest with you."

Ella laid her hands on his chest again, threatening to melt into a puddle at his words. He smiled down at her, his hands brushing her hair behind her ears as he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm sorry," Lily cut in, reminding them both that she was still there, "but can someone explain to me what the bloody hell is going on?"

James cleared his throat nervously and ran his hand though his hair as he looked at his sister guiltily.

"Please don't be angry," said Ella, chewing on her lip nervously as she held James' hand and faced his sister. "It only just happened last night. We haven't been keeping any secrets and we weren't really planning to."

"Good," said Lily. "And I'm not angry. I think it's bloody brilliant. I just didn't exactly see this coming."

Ella chuckled, looking up at James' smiling face. "I'm not sure we did either."

She turned back towards Lily just in time to see her rushing towards them, a beaming smile on her face as she pulled both of them into crushing hugs. Ella laughed as Lily insisted on knowing everything, with James telling her to calm down and that they'd fill her in later, but that he and Ella both had to get ready for the day and she could wait for them downstairs. With a suggestive wink, she moved to head down to the pub, giving them one final moment of privacy.

"Well, guess this means we aren't waiting to tell family," James said with a sigh, though he didn't really seem disappointed.

"I was probably going to have to explain to Gran where I was all night anyway," Ella reminded him. "I do have a request, though."

He watched her expectantly, his hands resting on her hips as hers had gone back to his chest.

"We tell our parents together? It just feels like the right way to do it, somehow."

He nodded in agreement. "What about Al and Sarah?"

She smirked, an idea she'd had earlier fully forming into a plan. "I think you still have a weeks worth of visiting to do in Cairo, yes?"

James looked at her questioningly before she continued.

"And it just so happens that I had a very productive conversation with my father not too long ago about the fact that it's about time I pay my sister and her family a visit as well."

James' eyebrows rose in excitement and surprise. "Really?"

She nodded enthusiastically, a grin breaking out on her face. And then he was kissing her again, cutting off the sound of her joyous laughter. Ella let out a sigh of contentment, only pulling away from James when she heard the sound of a door closing somewhere down the hall, signally some of the guests were up.

"I'll meet you downstairs?" he said hopefully, and Ella nodded, dropping one last kiss on his cheek before she walked away, looking over her shoulder at him as he stood in the doorway and watched her leave, happiness radiating from his every feature.

Ella could hardly believe that so much had changed in twenty-four hours. This time the previous morning, she'd been barely holding herself together, sure she'd remain heartbroken over missing any opportunity she might have had to be with James. Now she could hardly imagine her life turning out any other way. She and James were always meant to end up where they were now.

Gina wasn't in the pub, but Ella could hear voices in the kitchen, meaning she was probably in there along with Sally. Lily was bubbling with excitement from her place at the bar, and she quickly stood and followed Ella up the stairs that led to the flat above the kitchen. Ella tried to begin explaining things as best she could while getting ready for the day, Lily sitting on her bed with a continuous grin on her face as she rattled off questions.

"Eloise Mirabel Longbottom!" a harsh voice cried from down the hall as Ella began brushing out her hair. She cringed at the sound that was quickly followed by the presence of her great-grandmother in the doorway of her bedroom.

"Gran, you know I hate it when you use my full name," she said, hoping her gran would scold her for complaining rather than being out all night.

"Don't try and distract me, Eloise," her gran said, her eyes squinted and her finger pointing accusingly at her granddaughter. "You were gone all night, and you're lucky your father stayed at the school last night. He would've been worried sick."

"I'm sorry, Gran," said Ella, feeling truly guilty that she'd worried her, "but I was still on the property. I...well, I stayed with James last night."

She braced herself for her gran's response to this news, trying to ignore the sound of Lily giggling on the bed behind her. Augusta Longbottom looked at her great-granddaughter appraisingly before a satisfied smirk grew on her face and she gave what looked like a nod of approval.

"About bloody time."

Ella's jaw dropped in shock as her grandmother turned and left the room, mumbling to herself about young people as she walked away. Lily was wearing a similar expression of shock, and both girls dissolved into laughter as Ella shut the door.

"So," said Lily as soon as they had privacy, "what exactly happened last night?"

A dreamy smile spread across Ella's face as the past few hours replayed in her mind. She gave Lily the gist of what happened, ending with her finding them not even five minutes ago.

"So that's all you did last night?" Lily asked incredulously. "Innocent snogging and conversation?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't paint it as being quite so insignificant as you're implying. There was a lot we needed to talk about. And it's not that easy to jump right into things. Especially for two people who've known each other as long as we have."

"I suppose that's fair," Lily allowed. "So what I walked in on wasn't just a one time thing, right?"

"Well, it was definitely a first time thing," Ella said with a coy grin, "but no, definitely not going to be a one time thing."

They returned downstairs roughly ten minutes later once Ella had gotten herself cleaned up and changed for the day. She beamed brightly when she saw James sitting at the bar, a fresh cup of coffee in front of him.

Lily walked around the bar to join him as Ella remained behind it, going to stand in front of James and restraining herself from leaning across the bar to kiss him.

"Good morning," he said with a cheeky grin. Ella snorted in amusement, responding in kind as Gina approached.

"You just missed Helen," she said, completely oblivious to everything else going on as she seemed annoyed to be relaying information to her employer. "She came down a few minutes ago and said she was going to take this coming week off as well as today."

"What?" Ella asked in surprise. "Did she say why?"

"Just something about visiting friends and then something about seeing you follow your heart made her decide to follow hers?" Gina said with obvious displeasure. "Not sure what the hell she was talking about, but she said to congratulate you as well."

With that, Gina walked away, completely disinterested in what the message she'd just relayed actually meant.

Ella was in complete shock. The most logical explanation was that Helen knew. Somehow she'd found out. Ella just had no clue how.

"Lily, did you see Helen this morning?"

Lily shook her head, both her and James looking at Ella in concern.

"Do you think she saw us this morning?" James asked, catching onto at least part of what Gina's words must have meant.

"I don't see what else it could be," said Ella, shrugging and letting out a resigned sigh. She hadn't wanted Helen to find out this way. Then again, the message she'd passed through Gina was much more positive than Ella had expected. What did she mean by following her own heart? What was she going to do?

"At least she didn't tell anyone," said James, before he turned to his sister and explained they were planning on keeping things quiet until they told their families. Lily chuckled before relaying the news that she was no longer the only family member who knew.

"She called me by my full name," Ella grumbled, causing James to laugh in delight.

"What's so horrible about that, Eloise?"

She glared at him, unable to keep the sour look on her face for long. It made her happy to see that they could still banter the same way they used to. She didn't see that much of anything would change about their relationship, with the exception of the added elements of declarations of love and snogging. And other things along that similar vein.

"Are you still going to be able to go to Cairo and see Al and Sarah?" asked James, the news that Helen wouldn't be around now bringing their plans into question.

"I can help out," Lily offered. "I'm here all the time anyway. And I could use a break from staring at the chapter I've been editing.

Ella smiled gratefully at her, accepting the offer without even hesitating.

"Can I be there when you tell Mum and Dad, then?" Lily asked in excitement.

"No," James and Ella were both quick to say, with James adding that she was likely to let it slip before they had the chance to tell them themselves.

As the day wore on, Ella tried to let her guilt about Helen go. Obviously the girl hadn't taken things too hard, but hard enough that she found she couldn't stick around the pub and face Ella. She wanted to apologize and explain, but she was also thankful that she now had a week in which to prepare for that. She just hoped that Helen really was doing something that made her happy and brought her joy. There was nothing else that Helen deserved more.

Instead of focusing on Helen, she turned her thoughts to how she and James would go about telling their parents they were together. It was strange to think that they hadn't actually said those words or even really had a relationship defining conversation. Not in the typical sense. Then again, most people didn't confess their love for each other in the same conversation that they first admitted any feelings they might have. They were traveling at what most would consider a fast pace, but it had all really been building for years. She didn't need him to ask her to be his girlfriend or if she wanted to go out on a date. The fact that he said he'd marry her tomorrow was more than enough to solidify things between them.

She and James were planning on going upstairs and talking to her father as soon as she was done working for the evening, and then flooing over to his parents' house to tell them as well. Ella was a bit overwhelmed to be doing all of this so quickly, but with her gran and Lily and Helen already knowing, it was only a matter of time before they all found out some other way.

Before any of this could happen, however, Ginny and Harry showed up unexpectedly at the Leaky Cauldron.

Ella greeted them cheerfully, feeling paranoid that one look at her and they'd be able to tell that she'd spent most of the night snogging their son.

"Is James here?" Ginny asked in a huff, working her way through the lunch crowd and up to the bar, Harry on her heels. "We got a letter from Al saying he left Cairo abruptly last night."

"He's here," said a smirking Lily, who'd taken up residence at a booth to work on her book, but approached the bar when she saw her parents. "You just missed him. He went upstairs to write to Al and explain."

"Explain what?" asked Ginny, looking between Lily and Ella expectantly, her gaze settling on Ella when she noticed her daughter was looking at her with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Um…" Ella began uncertainly, praying desperately that James would suddenly reappear and offer assistance. "He had some things to check on."

"What things?" asked Harry.

"Well…he heard about all the drama with Rose and Scorpius," she finally said, thankful it was part of the reason behind his return, "and he just wanted to make sure everyone was okay."

"Oh," said Ginny, obviously not quite convinced that was a good enough reason to just abruptly leave his brother's home. "Rose and Scorpius left for France yesterday to pack up more of her things in Paris."

Lily sniggered as Ella's story lost a bit of credibility.

"I told him I'd be back tomorrow, so we're all set," said James as he came down the stairs from Ella's flat at that very moment. "Figured it would be more fun if we didn't tell them you're coming."

The cheeky grin he was giving Ella as he walked towards her behind the bar fell from his face when he noticed his parents. Ella willed herself to remain calm, sure that the whole thing looked incredibly suspicious.

"You're going to Cairo?" Harry asked Ella in surprise. "Did Neville finally see sense?"

Ella nodded, thankful that they hadn't put it all together yet. "We talked it over last week, and I figured now was the perfect opportunity."

"That's wonderful!" said Ginny, grinning at Ella for a moment before turning her gaze quizzically towards her son. "James, why on earth did you come back? We told you in our letter yesterday that Rose and Scorpius were going to be in France packing up her things this week. It was pointless to come all the way back to check on your cousin."

James looked at his mother in confusion before Ella realized they might as well get everything over with. It wasn't her ideal circumstances - the pub filled during lunch hour and Lily watching on in excitement - but better to get it all out now than to be dishonest and have to come clean later.

She laid a hand on James' arm, causing him to shift his gaze to her instead. "I told them you came back because you heard the news about Rose and Scorpius and you wanted to make sure everyone was okay."

James nodded as understanding crossed his face. He looked back at his parents, who were watching both of them questioningly.

"I didn't come to check on Rose," he explained. "I came to check on Ella."

They both continued to stare at him in confusion, and James shot Lily a look when she giggled into her pumpkin juice.

"I'd been...er...worried...that Ella had feelings for Scorpius for the past few months," he explained, his focus returned to his parents. "So when I heard about him and Rose, I was worried about her."

Ginny and Harry looked at Ella in alarm, obviously now fearing the same thing James had.

"I didn't," she was quick to clarify. "Scorpius and I were only ever friends. And that's the way I wanted it."

Ginny and Harry relaxed at these words, seeming to think this was the end of the story. But then James was speaking again.

"I also figured that - if she didn't have feelings for him like I'd feared - it was about time I tell her how I feel about her."

Ginny's eyes widened in shock, her jaw dropping open as she gazed between her son and Ella. Harry looked completely dumbfounded as he blinked rapidly at James, who took a step closer to Ella and slipped his hand into hers.

"So, um...yeah," he said nervously, his gaze flickering to Ella before going back to his parents. "Turns out she feels the same."

There were a few beats of silence as the news sunk in, and then Ginny let out a squeal of delight before hurrying around the bar and, much to the younger witch's surprise, pulling Ella into a tight hug.

"Oh, my dear girl," Ginny mumbled into the side of her head as she continued to hold her tightly. "I'm so beyond happy that I can officially welcome you to the family."

Ella felt her heart lodge somewhere in her throat, Ginny's words meaning more to her than she'd anticipated as she gripped the older witch firmly.

"We're not married, Mum," James said, and Ella could practically hear his eye roll.

"Oh, please," said Ginny, pulling away from Ella and wiping at a stray tear that had fallen from her eye. "Like you'd be mad enough to ever let her go."

Ella's eyes fell on James just in time to see his father pulling away from him, having leaned across the bar to pull his son into an embrace. She felt joy welling in her to see James shaking his father's hand, the older wizard smiling proudly at his son.

And then Ella's eyes met James' as his mother's words caused him to break into a smile. One that was filled with love and contentment and joy. And she felt herself reflecting all those things back to him as a grin spread across her own face, confident that he'd be looking at her that way for the rest of his life.

* * *

 **A/N: Just a few more things to wrap up in the next chapter, and then the epilogue! It actually saddens me to think of this story coming to an end, and I'd love to hear some of your favorite moments! Also, aside from the sequels I'm working on for one of my other stories, I have one more idea, but I'm not positive I want to go with it. It's another retelling, like this and Falling For You, which I really enjoy writing. So, if there is a book or a film that you'd like to see me tackle, let me know! if I know it well enough, I just might give it a whirl.**

 **Thank you as always for reviewing!**


	22. The Reunited Soulmates

The week they spent in Cairo was one of the happiest times in Ella's life. Her sister had been ecstatic when they'd arrived, nearly bursting into tears on the spot when they walked through the front door. Al had been rendered speechless at the sight, his mind whirring as he tried to figure out what it all meant.

It amused Ella that people were so used to seeing her and James together that it took them going out of their way to explain before anyone realized there was actually something to tell.

They'd stopped by to see Anne and Draco before they left for Egypt, and Anne had been so caught up in her surprise to see James that she'd completely missed the fact that they were holding hands. It had been Draco who'd eventually asked if there was something they wanted to tell them while looking pointedly at their hands. To say Anne was thrilled would be an understatement.

At Al and Sarah's, it wasn't until they'd been welcomed into the house and Ella was being dragged around by her nephew that news finally broke.

"Why'd you go back in the first place?" Al asked his brother while Sarah was making tea in the kitchen. "Your letter was rather vague."

Ella was able to listen in as Henry led her into the living room where James and Al were located, along with a number of Henry's toys.

"Well, we wanted to tell you in person," said James, glancing momentarily at where Ella was now sitting on the floor with her nephew.

"Tell us what?" asked Al, still completely clueless. James gave a patient sigh before spelling it all out plainly for his brother. Ella watched in amusement as Al's jaw dropped and his eyes bugged out. And then he was hollering for his wife, who hurried in from the kitchen and chastised him for waking their daughter, who was now screaming from her bedroom. But then Al was relaying the news, and Sarah was struck momentarily dumb as she looked between her sister and brother-in-law.

It was a bit chaotic for a few minutes after that, questions asked in a flurry and Henry trying to grab the attention of the adults, before Al went to retrieve their still wailing daughter and Sarah jumped up and down in delight before flinging her arms around James, exclaiming excitedly, "I knew it! I just knew it!"

"What?" Ella asked in amused surprise.

"Well, he was all mopey last week and it got worse every time we brought you up," Sarah explained as she moved to sit next to her sister on the floor, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Yeah, well, I sort of came here in an effort to forget about it all and try and move on," James explained a bit sheepishly. "You made that rather impossible."

Sarah smirked in triumph.

"Alright," said Al, coming out with a much more calm Eleanor. "Start at the beginning, and explain."

So they did, and it was entertaining to not only have their siblings weigh in on everything that had happened, but it was also enlightening to hear some of the things James had been thinking at various points over the last few months. Like how he'd nearly said something to her on a handful of occasions, but he'd either thought better of it or they'd been interrupted. It was strange to imagine that all of this could have started earlier, but Ella was thankful it had happened when it did. It felt like everything had fallen into place at exactly the right moment.

The rest of the week was spent blissfully, with Ella fully enjoying spending quality time with her family and seeing some of the sights in Egypt. By the time they returned home, being with James felt like the most natural thing in the world. It had taken a bit of getting used to, being able to show more than friendly affection for each other. And it was a bit surreal as well, especially for Ella, who hadn't even been aware this was what she wanted until a few days before it had happened. But as they arrived back at the Leaky Cauldron at the end of the week and walked through the front door with her hand clasped in his, it felt like things were always supposed to be that way.

"How was it? Traveling go alright? Do you have any pictures?"

Ella laughed as she hugged her father almost as soon as they entered the building. "It was wonderful, traveling was perfect, and James has the pictures."

Neville quickly turned to James as soon as he released his daughter. The pictures were already in James' hand, and he shot Ella a smile at her father's enthusiasm.

Neville had been more than happy to allow Ella the chance to return to Cairo with James. He'd also had one of the most unique reactions to the news that they were together, immediately asking if it meant she'd be moving to Tutshill, which they explained wouldn't be happening anytime soon. After that, he'd simply smiled and given James his blessing, saying any plans he wanted to make as far as his daughter was concerned were fine with him, just so long as he was given a heads up if James planned on making any significant changes. It had all been rather underwhelming, but she could tell her father was pleased, especially when he hugged her extra tight before they left for Egypt.

News had spread while they'd been gone. As James continued showing Neville photographs of their time in Egypt, Ella found herself approached by a number of people who seemed to have been waiting for them to arrive. Cassie was beaming and congratulating her, Hugo was hugging her in stunned silence, Roxanne was jabbering on about being able to design Ella's wedding dress when they got married, and Fred was quick to ask Ella if she knew what she was getting into before telling her all about how much trouble James had caused when he was in school.

"If I remember correctly," said James as he came and stood beside her, " _you_ were the one causing all the trouble. I was more along for the ride."

Fred rolled his eyes as people laughed. "You were a willing participant. Don't go trying to get out of it now that you're all grown up and respectable."

Conversation continued as they crowded up the middle of the pub, Ella not even caring as joy filled her at being so warmly welcomed and accepted by James' family. The crowd wasn't broken up until another couple entered the pub.

Ella immediately recognized the shock of blond hair on the head of the young man holding hands with a beautiful redhead, who was looking much better than Ella could remember seeing her in months.

Rose and Scorpius paused in the doorway, but then Rose was rushing forward a moment later, pulling Ella into her arms and apologizing profusely.

"You have nothing to apologize to me for," Ella assured her as Rose pulled away.

"But I was dishonest," she said. "We both were. There's no excuse for that."

"I suppose that's true," Ella said with a small smile. "But you have no reason to apologize otherwise, alright?"

Rose nodded, her eyes shining with happiness as she let out a sigh of relief. Their attention was drawn to James and Scorpius when the sound of laughter reached their ears. Ella watched in shock as James stuck out his hand and shook Scorpius', both of them smiling at each other.

"I'll admit, I wasn't exactly expecting that to go well," Rose said in an undertone to Ella.

"I wasn't either," she said with a chuckle.

"We're so pleased for the two of you," Rose gushed. "I don't think I've ever seen James this happy."

Ella couldn't help beaming. "I don't think I've ever seen _you_ this happy either."

Rose couldn't help looking over at her husband, her smile content and her gaze adoring. "I really didn't expect this. Or him. And I know we handled it a bit poorly, but we're planning on making it up to everyone. And each other as well. Too much time wasted already."

Affection for Rose welled up inside Ella, and she reached out to squeeze her hand. "I'm glad you're staying. I'd very much like to make up for lost time as well."

The smile Rose gave Ella at her words was genuinely grateful and happy. "I'm looking forward to it. We'll have to have the two of you over when we get all settled."

They looked over at James and Scorpius, whose conversation had turned a bit more serious. It wasn't long before both young men noticed the attention they were receiving. Scorpius' adopted a guilty smile when he saw Ella, and Rose moved forward to embrace her cousin, allowing Scorpius the chance to move towards Ella, who put on a judgmental look that was only half serious.

"I suppose I owe you an apology and an explanation," he said, cringing as he stood in front of her.

"It would be nice," said Ella. "Would you like me to lay all your crimes before you, or has that already been taken care of?"

Scorpius grimaced. "I suppose you have that right, but Hugo's been doing a good job of keeping me in check. I don't think Rose and I would be here today if it weren't for him."

"Really?" asked Ella, glancing over to where Hugo was talking with a few of his cousins. "How so?"

"Let's just say he reminded me of some things I definitely needed to be reminded of right when I needed to be," said Scorpius, a vulnerable look in his eyes at the words. "Things started falling apart there for a bit, but he made sure I know how lucky I am that I actually have the chance to be with the person I love. I'd become a bit too focused on the issues and forgot for a bit about the relationship, and that's always mattered more. Hugo's harsh words sobered me up just in time."

As he spoke, it struck Ella that she'd never quite seen Scorpius this genuine. It wasn't something she'd really acknowledged before, but he'd always had a bit of a front, which wasn't a surprise to realize seeing as there was so much he'd been keeping secret. And even though part of her was still a bit irritated by the lies and knew she wouldn't fully trust him for a while, Ella found she liked this Scorpius much better than the one she'd been friends with for months.

"Well, I am a bit tempted to lay into you as well, seeing as you probably deserve it," said Ella with a pointed look, "but I have learned recently that love does some pretty crazy things to you, so I'm more understanding than I was when I first heard."

Scorpius smiled, relaxing in relief as his eyes flickered momentarily to where Rose and James were talking. "I heard about that. Did you feel that way this whole time?"

"Who knows," said Ella, chuckling at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. "I only realized it about a week ago. But I thought _I_ was the one who was owed an explanation."

Scorpius laughed at her challenging smirk, his eyes drifting over to Rose once again, who happened to glance his way as well. Ella watched as the two shared affectionate and tender smiles before Rose turned her attention back to her cousin.

"Isn't she fantastic?" said Scorpius, his eyes still on Rose. "I'm beyond lucky she's crazy enough to love me."

Ella smiled, appreciating the love that Scorpius obviously had for his wife.

"I can't believe you're bloody married," she said with a shake of her head. Scorpius laughed.

"I can hardly believe it either. It was probably a bit reckless, but I just couldn't not do it. Nothing felt more right than knowing I'd always have her by my side. Of course, I almost completely mucked that up with my stupidity, but she's a very understanding and forgiving person, thankfully. I truly don't deserve her."

"You'll do well to keep that in mind from now on," said Ella challengingly. Scorpius smiled at her.

"I will. No way I'm risking losing her again."

They were joined by Rose and James a moment later, the former immediately slipping her hand into her husband's and looking thrilled at being able to do so.

"Rose was saying you found a flat in London," said James as he wound his arm around Ella's waist.

"Yep," said Scorpius proudly. "Thankfully, my uncle isn't as stubborn as my aunt, so I've been able to keep working. He's been more understanding than I expected. Apparently he wasn't completely oblivious to my feelings for Rose. I wasn't as good at hiding it while we were in France."

"Do Teddy, Vic, and Dom know?" asked James. The question caused Ella to feel immediate guilt from all the completely unfounded speculations she'd made about Dom's fiancé. She looked between Rose and Scorpius with wide eyes. He looked a bit uncomfortable as well, but Rose laughed off their worried expressions.

"I already yelled at him for that when we got back from Tutshill," said Rose. James looked at Ella in question, who said she'd explain everything later.

"And yes," Rose continued, "Teddy and Vic were instrumental in giving us opportunities to spend time together. They didn't know about the marriage part until everyone else did, though. Only Al and Sarah did, which I'm sure you've heard all about by now. Did you have a good visit?"

They were quick to answer in the affirmative, James pulling the pictures he'd shown Neville back out. It was wonderful to be able to talk to Rose and Scorpius. Ella had been eager to do so since she first heard news of the true nature of their relationship. It was bizarre to see them together, but it also felt like the most natural thing in the world. They fit. Far better than Ella would have imagined possible. It was a brilliant choice on her end to give up on matchmaking, and she was more than happy to be proven spectacularly wrong.

They enjoyed the rest of the day with James' family. Pictures of Henry and Eleanor and their time spent in Cairo were passed around, and Hugo relayed the news that Penelope had managed to finally talk Eddie into moving to Rome.

"He's still my friend, no matter what shoddy decisions he's made recently," said Hugo, "so I'll miss him, but it's probably for the best."

Everyone seemed to agree with this, and Ella felt relief. It was probably a bit selfish, but their presence was just another reminder of her mistakes. It felt like she was truly getting a fresh start. One she didn't feel she quite deserved.

As happy and jubilant as Ella was following her return from Cairo, there was still one unresolved piece to the puzzle, and it was with great relief and fear that she waited for Helen to show up on Monday morning.

Helen had written to Cassie to say when she'd be coming back, and Ella waited anxiously for the moment she would walk through the door. When she finally did, she was accompanied by the last person Ella had expected to see.

"Lorcan!" she exclaimed in shock, a smile breaking onto her face as she took in the happy faces in front of her. Helen was beaming, Lorcan was grinning brightly, and Ella was beside herself with relief that she hadn't ruined the girl's life for good.

She rushed forward, pulling Helen into a firm embrace that was instantly returned.

"Please tell me this means you don't hate me and that ignored everything I ever said to you," said Ella as she pulled away from Helen. The younger girl laughed in amusement at this.

"Not entirely," she assured her. "I don't hate you, and before you apologize for anything, I want you to know that I was being foolish. Maybe part of me thought I had certain feelings, but I don't think they served any purpose other than masking the feelings I still had for Lorcan. I realized how true that was when I saw you and James together outside his room last Saturday morning."

Ella cringed. She was worried something like this had happened, but at least it had brought about a positive outcome.

"I'm apologizing anyway," said Ella. "I never should have behaved the way I did. You're perfectly capable of making your own choices with your life. And I believe you've made a splendid one."

She looked up at Lorcan, who'd been grinning the entire time.

"She explained everything when she showed up in Greece," he said, "and I know you were only looking out for her, so I'm grateful for that."

Ella gave him a relieved smile, truly not feeling like she deserved to be so warmly received.

"By the way, I quit."

Ella looked in shock at Helen, who seemed determined but nervous.

"Lorcan's done with his work in Greece," she continued, "and he's preparing to travel to South Africa next month. And I'm going with him."

While she felt sad to be losing her friend, Ella couldn't help being happy for her. Especially considering how close she'd been to making a mess of the girl's life. Helen had taken back control, and she was making the absolute best decision for her.

"I accept your resignation," said Ella, "but will you stay on till you leave?"

Helen nodded in relief, obviously having worried that Ella wouldn't be open to this suggestion. More words of joy and congratulations were exchanged, and Lorcan took a seat at the bar for breakfast as Helen and Ella opened the pub for the day. With the windows open, the birds singing, and a substantial amount of love in the air, the atmosphere was more cheery than Ella could remember it being in months.

The future held so much promise. Ella could hardly believe that the one laid out in front of her was actually real. It would take some getting used to, but she was perfectly happy to embrace the fact that she'd been wrong more often than she'd been right over the past few years. Especially if that meant she actually got to spend her life with so many people by her side that she loved, and none more so than James.

"It's a bit mad, isn't it," he said that evening, sitting at his usual place at the bar as Ella effortlessly handled the evening crowd. "All this happening at once. Rose and Scorpius, Lorcan and Helen, me and you. That's a lot of change all at once."

"Maybe," said Ella, "but they're all good changes."

"And you didn't see a single one of them coming," he said with an arrogant smirk.

"Are you disappointed with the outcome?" she asked a bit testily. James shook his head, the corner of his mouth still raised in amusement. "Then be thankful I was a bit clueless."

"Oh, I am, love," he said, fully grinning now as he leaned on the bar and sipped his fire whiskey. "I would've hated for you to have guessed right. It would have ruined the ending for me."

"Who said anything about an ending?" she teased, resting her arms on the bar in front of him so there was less than a foot of space separating them. "I was under the impression we were just getting started."

If possible, his smile grew brighter, his hazel eyes squinting with unsuppressed joy. "Do you mean to tell me that you're actually open to the idea of romance? Maybe even marriage?" he asked innocently.

"Are you saying you actually have a romantic bone in your body?"

James chuckled. "Maybe even a few."

"I'll be the judge of that."

James' brow rose in mock surprise. "Looks like someone actually managed to change your mind, then."

Ella smirked. "I did say it would take one hell of a man to do it."

He shook his head in amusement, laughing before he leaned even further across the bar. Close enough so that Ella had nowhere else to look but in his eyes.

"Merlin help the man who falls in love with you."

Ella grinned, resting her hand on the side of his face as memories flooded through her of nights long gone that were just like this one, only now she saw a much different future for herself.

"Same goes for the witch that manages to snag you."

And then she kissed him, thinking what a shame it was that she hadn't done so long ago.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's the final chapter! But don't worry, there is still an epilogue. Hope you enjoyed the little throwback there to a previous Jella conversation had in Chapter One (chapter two on here). We have come full circle! It's been a joy and a pleasure to share this story with you. Looking forward to sharing the last bit with you soon! It sure is bitter sweet.**


	23. Epilogue

Ella Longbottom let out a sigh of relief as the door swung shut behind her, the quiet of the kitchen a welcome change as the sounds of a rather lively party were deadened by the solid oak.

"I don't know why you let me talk you into this," she said with a sigh. The kitchen's only other occupant let out a chuckle as she moved to stand next to him. "We're out of butterbeer, Fred's threatening to pull out that horrible karaoke machine, and a few of your teammates are drunk enough to think indoor Quidditch isn't the worst idea in the world."

James laughed, pulling his attention from the platter of cheese and crackers he was refilling to smile at her. "I'm just glad that you remember this was your idea," he said a bit teasingly. "That way we can blame you if the house gets destroyed."

Ella gave him a playful shove as he chuckled at her scowl. "You should be the one out there doing damage control," she pointed out. "This is your house, not mine. And I seem to recall you saying once upon a time that the future Mrs. Potter would be the only woman allowed to play hostess in your home."

She smirked at him, but James just grinned, setting aside a now empty sleeve of crackers. He moved to stand in front of her so she had her back against the counter. Her smirk turned into a smile as he placed his hands on the smooth, granite surface on either side of her, trapping her between himself and the counter.

"I did say that, didn't I?" he said, his voice low and soft as his eyes sparkled with delight. "Good thing you _are_ the future Mrs. Potter."

Ella beamed at him, her hands going up to rest on his chest and her eyes unable to ignore the simple diamond that sat on her finger.

"I guess a week isn't long enough to get used to that," she said, continuing to smile as he took her left hand in his. He kissed her palm, causing Ella's smile to grow impossibly brighter.

"You've known for a year now that it's what I want," James pointed out.

"I know," she said, her arms going around his neck. "The whole ring on my finger just makes it that much more real."

James smiled and rested his hands on her waist. It had been a year full of Ella constantly realizing just how thankful she was that she'd finally seen what had been right in front of her for years. It still felt almost too good to be true that she'd fallen in love with her best friend, made even more astonishing when she considered the fact that he'd fallen in love with her as well. And while it still felt new and exciting and hard to believe, it also felt like the most natural thing in the world to be standing in his arms.

"Want to help me with this and then face the chaos again?" asked James, nodding his head towards the half filled platter of food. Ella nodded, but he didn't move away. All it took was her quirking her eyebrow at him in a mix between a challenge and a question before he was leaning down and placing a soft and loving kiss on her lips.

Ella let out a sigh of contentment, her hands moving from his neck and into his hair as he pulled her closer. It was as their embrace started to drift into the realm of inappropriate for public settings that Ella heard the sound of the party grow louder as the door banged open and someone stormed into the kitchen.

James let out a disappointed groan as he pulled away from Ella, forcing her to detangle her fingers from his hair as he looked over her shoulder with a less than pleased look on his face. Ella turned around and followed his gaze, sighing in resignation when she saw Hugo, a look comprised of pain and frustration on his face as he braced himself against the counter. He was breathing heavily, hardly paying James and Ella any mind as he stared down at the countertop.

"I shouldn't have bloody come," he eventually said, his words strained as he shook his head in resignation.

"I'm sorry, mate," said James, truly sounding like he was. "It wasn't like I couldn't invite my own teammate to an end-of-season party."

"It's not your fault," said Hugo, waving his hand dismissively. "I knew she'd be here and I came anyway. I honestly didn't think it would be this bloody hard."

Ella felt an ache in her chest for Hugo as he hung his head and took a deep breath. One of James' teammates had retired after the previous season, leaving a spot open for a new Chaser to be recruited. It had been a surprise to everyone when James informed them that the replacement they found was transfer Celine Baros, a tall, slender girl with black hair and a bubbly attitude that had been playing for the American Quidditch League since she'd left Hogwarts. She also happened to be Hugo's ex-girlfriend, and it was obvious to just about everyone that he was still in love with her. Even if he had put off seeing her for almost a full year.

"Have you talked to her?" Ella couldn't help but ask. Hugo shook his head, which was still bent as he attempted to compose himself.

"Maybe you should," James suggested. "She was really pleased when I mentioned you were coming."

Hugo's head snapped up and he glared at James. "Why the hell did you even tell her I would be here?"

"She asked," said James with a shrug. His words managed to get Hugo to stop scowling, an unconvinced frown appearing on his face instead.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"It came up that my family would be here tonight, and she asked if that meant you'd be attending as well," James said smoothly. Ella bit her lip to keep herself from grinning, knowing that what James had just said was only partly true. James had mentioned his family would be there, and Celine had asked if that meant his cousins as well. While she'd never specifically mentioned Hugo by name, James had sworn to Ella that he'd seen hope in her eyes when she'd asked, and a nervous excitement grow in her when he rattled off which cousins would be in attendance. Which had included Hugo.

It was a stretch, but not much of one.

"She did seem pleased to see you," said Ella, who'd noted the way Celine's eyes had consistently drifted towards Hugo throughout the night, even as he continued to keep his distance from her. A bit more hope appeared in Hugo's eyes at Ella's words.

"Talk to her, Hugh," said James when his cousin failed to move. "You'll regret doing nothing more than you'll regret doing something."

It was only a few seconds later that resolve grew in Hugo's eyes. He gave them a nod before pushing himself off the counter, smoothing out his hair, straightening his shirt, and turning to walk back out the door.

"This should be interesting," Ella said in amusement. James chuckled from behind her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"He's been an idiot about the whole thing, in my opinion. I can understand her being afraid to reach out to him since she's the one who ended things when she left the country, but I think she would have been thrilled if he'd sought her out sooner."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see if your meddling pays off," said Ella, unable to hide a smirk. James chuckled, placing a kiss on her shoulder, neck, then cheek in quick succession before turning her to face him.

"What was it you said once?" he said. "Think of it as reading the signs and helping the inevitable come about?"

Ella shook her head, unable to be more than slightly annoyed as he grinned crookedly at her. "Smartass," she grumbled, giving him a halfhearted smack on the chest before nudging him back a few steps so she could continue the task of refilling the platter of cheese and crackers.

"I'll Floo to the pub and grab another case of butterbeer," said James, a hint of laughter in his voice. Ella nodded, and he only paused to drop one last kiss on her cheek before walking over to the grate in his kitchen and disappearing in a burst of green flames.

The crowd had somehow grown louder in the time Ella had spent in the kitchen, and she held in a grimace as she made her way back into the party. She took in the commotion as she made her way towards the table full of food by the stairs.

Fred had given up on his karaoke idea and was sitting on the floor in a circle with a handful of James' rather drunk teammates, loudly teaching them how to play poker. Helen and Lorcan were continuing to show pictures of their most recent trip to China to Cassie and David. Lysander and Molly were sitting in chairs close by, the former looking a bit dazedly around the room and the latter sipping at a glass of wine rather stiffly, obviously a bit uncomfortable. It had been a shock to everyone when they'd arrived together that evening, as Lysander was closer to Lucy and no one had been aware that the two even knew each other that well. Not to mention they were about as opposite as two people could be.

Lily was sitting on the couch with Anne and Draco, their four month old daughter in her arms as she tried and failed to listen to whatever they were talking to her about. Ella held back a snigger to see that Lily's attention was almost exclusively focused on the occupants of one of the armchairs by the fire.

Matt was currently sitting with his date for the evening, the short redhead that Ella hadn't met before that night draped across his lap as he laughed and she giggled at whatever Scorpius had just said. Ella's former bartender had gotten into the habit of going on a string of rather meaningless dates. His relationship with Lily had morphed into a surprising friendship after she'd filled in for Ella during her visit to Egypt a year ago, and the fact that Lily still didn't appear interested even after actually getting to know him had finally allowed Matt to pursue other options, which he'd begun doing excessively after he started his full time job as a mediwizard back in the fall.

It seemed, however, that this was what it had taken for Lily to finally take an interest in Matt that appeared to go beyond friendship. The amount of times Ella had caught her staring at him or noticed her pinched expression whenever he showed up somewhere with a girl on his arm were becoming too many to count. Ella just hoped nobody wound up hurt in what was sure to be a rather long game of will they won't they.

Ella's gaze drifted across the room to land on Rose, who smiled at her. She was sitting on the window seat by the front door with Celine, but got up and made her way towards Ella as she reached the food table, her hand moving automatically to the slight bump on her belly as she approached the hostess.

"I swear, the only thing this baby likes is cheese," said Rose, quickly snatching a piece of cheddar off the platter as soon as Ella set it on the table.

"There are worse things to crave," said Ella with a chuckle. "Sarah only wanted pickles when she was pregnant with Henry, so you can imagine how much Al loved that."

Rose laughed, knowing just as well as Ella that Albus Potter despised pickles.

"How's it been otherwise?" asked Ella, pouring herself a glass of water as she nodded towards Rose's stomach. The expectant mother grinned, one hand rubbing over her barely protruding belly as she took another piece of cheese.

"Wonderful," she said honestly. "I was a bit worried since my mum had problems, but we've been fortunate. It's still a little hard to believe that we'll be parents in five months."

Ella smiled. "I have a feeling a lot's going to be changing this year."

Rose let out a soft laugh, her eyes going to the ring on Ella's finger. "Very true. Have you set a date yet?"

"Well, my dad is still pulling for never," said Ella with an affectionate roll of her eyes. It wasn't that Neville didn't want her to be with James, but she'd be splitting her time between London and Tutshill more than she already was. She wasn't giving up the inn, but not living there anymore was something Ella hadn't imagined happening. At least not so soon. James had offered to continue living at the inn most of the time, but Ella had barely given this a thought. He'd still have to spend a few nights a week in Tutshill, and while she could always just go wherever he went like she did now, she wanted them to set up a home, not be constantly hopping back and forth. She knew there would probably be the odd occasions that they did stay in London, but setting up a home with James was what she wanted, and he wanted the same with her.

"At least you won't be as far as Sarah," said Rose with a sympathetic smile. Ella nodded. She still missed her sister every day, but now that she and James went to visit them every few months, it was a bit easier to bear. And Lily had helped fill the void her sister had left. So had Rose, whom Ella had grown closer with over the past year, just like she'd wanted to.

"Look," said Rose after letting out a soft gasp. She gestured towards the window seat she'd recently vacated, and Ella watched with wide eyes as Hugo slowly approached. He sat down next to Celine, his eyes flying around the room and looking everywhere but at the girl a foot away from him. For her part, the Chaser was looking down at the glass in her nervously clasped hands, her gaze only flickering to Hugo as he let out a sigh and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.

"Is he going to just sit there?" Ella said skeptically after what felt like a full minute of watching them sitting there awkwardly. At least they were at the back of the room, so they weren't really drawing attention to themselves.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything more uncomfortable," said Scorpius as he approached them, his eyes on his brother-in-law and his arm going immediately around Rose's waist as he stopped next to her. "Did you talk to her?"

"Not about Hugo," said Rose with a sigh, all of them still watching as Hugo began nervously bouncing his leg. "Didn't feel like it would be polite."

"Who cares about polite when your brother's heart is on the line!" Scorpius said in shock.

"I think he can handle himself without us interfering," his wife placated, patting him lightly on the chest.

"He did seem rather determined to at least say something to her," said Ella. She briefly filled them in on the conversation she and James' had with Hugo in the kitchen.

"That doesn't look like talking to me," Scorpius commented as Hugo downed the glass of fire whiskey he'd been clutching tightly in his fist.

"We should let them be," said Rose kindly, just as Celine happened to glance their way and her pale cheeks turned slightly pink. Rose turned away from her brother and his ex to face Ella, making Scorpius do the same. "What were you saying about a wedding date?"

Ella chuckled at the pout Scorpius wore and the seamless change of subject. "No, we haven't set a date, but I've always loved the snow, so probably in the winter. James said he likes the sound of a quiet ceremony in an outdoor setting."

"Thank Merlin for warming charms."

All three of them laughed at James' comment as he walked over and placed more bottles of butterbeer in the tub of ice that was under the table of food.

"You really have to put up with so much, don't you," Ella said teasingly. He chuckled as he stood and rested his hand on the small of her back.

"I don't mind it so much," he said with a grin.

"Bloody hell, he's going for it."

Scorpius appeared to have ignored his wife's suggestion that they leave the reunited lovers alone. They all turned their attention back towards the front window just as Hugo sat up, his hands gripping his knees as he stared at Celine's profile. It was obvious she knew he was watching as she took a sip of her drink, her gaze straight ahead as her hands shook slightly.

The party was too loud for them to be able to tell what was being said, but Hugo uttered what appeared to be a single word in greeting, and that was all it took for Celine to snap her gaze to his, a small smile of relief forming on her lips as she responded in kind. Ella let out a pleased sigh as Hugo managed to get out a few more words, his expression still a bit guarded, but also a bit eager as his eyes moved rapidly over her face, obviously taking advantage of being able to look at her.

"Okay, now I feel creepy watching them," said Scorpius, turning back around and grabbing a few crackers and pieces of cheese off the table and handing some of them to Rose automatically, who chuckled at her husband and took the offered food.

"Oh, by the way, we're joining for dinner this week. You both can still come, right?" Rose asked Ella.

"Are you kidding?" said Ella. "We haven't missed dinner and chess with Ron and Hermione in months. I'm not ending my streak yet."

Rose smiled happily as a rambunctious yell sounded from the corner of the room where Fred and three Quidditch players were playing poker.

"I suppose I should do some damage control before things get too out of hand," James said with a sigh. But before he could even attempt to cross the room, Molly Weasley was on the move, her expression reminiscent of her namesake.

Fred gave a yelp as Molly grabbed him by the ear, leaning down and whispering fiercely to him as her arm gestured rather wildly to the room at large. Ella chuckled at the somber expression that appeared on Fred's face as he nodded. Molly gave one more tug on her cousin's ear before standing straight up and glaring at James' teammates, pointing threateningly at them and saying a few more words before walking away, the group a bit more calm even as their intoxicated state had them giggling as soon as she turned her back.

"I know who's babysitting," said Rose, an impressed look on her face. Scorpius looked at her as if she'd gone mad.

"The kid will never have any fun," he said. Rose merely rolled her eyes.

By the time midnight rolled around about an hour later, James had his hands full with ushering the last few stragglers out of the house. Lily had been the first to leave, doing so in a bit of a huff when Matt and his date started snogging rather obnoxiously. This had led Cassie to storm over to Matt and smack him in the back of the head, causing him to pull away from his date and look at Cassie in shock. Ella wasn't able to make out everything she said, but it was something along the lines of how he was an idiot and that she couldn't believe he was so clueless. He and his date left a short while later, Matt with a conflicted expression on his face.

Everyone else had ambled out in droves, thanking James and even Ella for having them over in celebration of the Tornadoes winning the league, until Fred was about to pass out on the couch at the end of the evening. Hugo was kind enough to Floo him home. Ella had missed how the rest of the party had turned out for Hugo, but he seemed in better spirits than earlier.

"I think it'll be a while before we do something like that again," James said with a sigh. He collapsed onto the couch next to Ella, who giggled as his presence on the couch caused her to roll slightly into him. She rested her head on his shoulder, yawning and wrapping her arms around his waist as his arm came down around her and pulled her close.

"Fine with me," said Ella, closing her eyes and enjoying the stillness that surrounded them. It was silent for a few minutes except for the sound of the crackling fire and James' steady breathing.

"Have I told you yet that I'm proud of you?" Ella mumbled into his chest.

"For what?" asked James, his voice sleepy as his hand trailed lazily up and down her arm.

"You finally won the league," she said as if it were obvious. "You captained a brilliant team to a fantastic victory. You should be proud too."

James chuckled before dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "I suppose I am."

"It was nice having everyone together, wasn't it?" asked Ella. "And I like your teammates."

"They like you too," said James, and she could hear his smile in his voice. "It was also nice seeing you so comfortable tonight."

"How do you mean?"

She felt him shrug under her and then move so she was pressed up against his side as he wound both of his arms around her. "Playing hostess, looking right at home. It was a nice glimpse into what our future will be like."

Ella smiled, pleased to hear that they'd been thinking along the very same lines for most of the evening.

"And, pretty soon, it'll actually be your home."

Ella beamed at the joy in his voice, squeezing him tightly for a moment before sitting up so she could look him in the eye, his hands going to rest on her waist as he gazed lovingly up at her.

She'd always known that James was big on family. It was the most important thing in his life. For a long time, Ella had considered herself to be a part of that, but it wasn't till now, when she was actually on the verge of becoming his wife, his number one priority, and his actual family, that she realized just how much what they'd had before paled in comparison. She couldn't imagine going back to that. She never wanted to. James was her family. He was her home. And it warmed her to her soul to know he felt exactly the same.

"I love you, you know that?" she said, the words coming out in a whisper as her love for him threatened to overwhelm her. He smiled blissfully at her, resting his hand on her cheek so he could pull her towards him. Ella placed her hand on his chest and her ring caught the light from the fire, his close proximity still able to cause her heart to pound and her breath to catch in her throat. He paused when she was less than an inch away, her eyes closing as he brushed his nose against hers.

"Yeah," he mumbled, his lips almost touching her own. "I know."

Ella let out a huff of annoyance that he hadn't said it back, but then he was kissing her, and she didn't care all that much that he hadn't. Because just as he knew she loved him, she knew he loved her too. It was in the way he looked at her, the way he held her, the way he said her name. The way he pulled briefly away a moment later to assure her that he did, in fact, love her too, because he'd claimed on many occasions that he could never say it enough.

As the fire dimmed and they began to doze off, curled up together on the couch, Ella breathed a sigh of contentment, knowing that she was exactly where she was supposed to be, and that she never wanted to be anywhere else if it meant she couldn't be in James Potter's arms. And she knew that none of that was ever going to change.

* * *

 **A/N: *tears* Can't believe it's over! Seriously, it's been so much fun to share this story with you. I've loved every minute of it.**

 **Now, there is a chance that you will see these characters in this universe again. I actually laid a bit of ground work for that in this epilogue. It won't be Jella centric, and it is something that I have only jotted down ideas for, so we will see!**

 **As to why you got this chapter today, well my plan was tomorrow, but seeing as I will be busy with Avengers and Game of Thrones, I figured not only would I not have time, but my emotions wouldn't be able to handle this as well. It's going to be quite the day.**

 **Love to you all. Thanks for hanging with me and Jella, and I hope to see meet up on another story soon.**


End file.
